Chord progressions
Original exercises with chord diagrams, strumming patterns and practice tips. From beginner to advanced.
105 progressions
Basic Tango Rhythm in D Minor
Before attempting Piazzolla's complex harmonies, a guitarist must master the fundamenta…
Tango Nuevo in D Minor — Astor Piazzolla Style
Astor Piazzolla's "nuevo tango" (new tango) revolutionized the genre in the 1950s–80s …
Two-Tone Ska — English Ska Revival in D Major
The Two-Tone movement (1979–1981, Coventry, England) fused Jamaican ska rhythms with …
Argentine Tango Rhythm in A Minor
Argentine tango is one of the most emotionally charged dance forms in the world, and …
Romance de España — Classical Guitar in E Minor
"Romance" (also known as "Romance de España" or "Spanish Romance") is perhaps the …
Coltrane Changes — Full 12-Bar
Coltrane's harmonic substitution system applied to a 12-bar format.
Basic Fingerstyle — Thumb and Two Fingers in C
The simplest fingerstyle pattern uses only three elements: the thumb (p) alternating …
Chicken Picking — Hybrid Right-Hand Technique in A
Chicken picking (also called hybrid picking or "chucking") combines the flatpick and …
Celtic Fingerstyle in D Dorian — DADGAD Tuning
DADGAD tuning (D–A–D–G–A–D, low to high) was popularized by British folk guitarist …
Bulerías in A Phrygian
Bulerías is the fastest and most complex of the flamenco palos, performed at ligh…
Celtic Folk Fingerpicking in A Dorian
The Dorian mode (natural minor with a raised 6th degree) is the harmonic signature …
Tritone Substitution Workout — Full Cycle of Fifths
The tritone substitution is jazz harmony's most powerful tool: any dominant 7th chord …
Jazz-Funk Fusion Vamp in E Minor
Jazz-funk fusion emerged in the early 1970s with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock's He…
Giant Steps Changes in E♭
Inspired by John Coltrane's 1960 masterpiece, this progression cycles through three ton…
Cross-Picking in G — Bluegrass Flatpick Étude
Cross-picking is the flatpick equivalent of fingerstyle rolling arpeggios: the pick …
Country Basics — G, C, D7 in Open Position
Open-position country guitar starts with the same three chords as folk but adds the …
Southern Gospel — Walking Bass and Full Chord Voicings in C
Southern gospel guitar combines the walking bass technique of country music with …
Guaguancó — Afro-Cuban Rumba in D Minor
Guaguancó is one of the three main forms of Cuban rumba (alongside yambú and columbia),…
First Folk Chords — G, C, D in Open Position
The three chords G, C, and D unlock hundreds of folk songs, country tunes, and cl…
Funk Groove on E7 — James Brown Style 16th-Note Rhythm
James Brown's bands (particularly with guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Phelps Collins) …