As mentioned previously in this book, most listeners—whether they’re music publishers, A&R reps or ordinary record buyers—have a subconscious desire for symmetry when listening to music. This musical symmetry creates a sense of predictability that is reassuring and comforting to the listener.
The harmonic progression in a song’s chord structure is an important source of this musical symmetry. Listeners like it when the overall sense of rhythmic and harmonic direction is clear and easy to follow.
A chord progression is defined as a series of chord changes that should have the definite goal of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or ‘home’ chord (e.g. C in the key of C). In other words, the chord progression works to pinpoint the home note and the home chord as the harmonic and melodic objective. It moves away from the home chord as the melody unfolds and eventually returns to it to complete the melodic circle.
Unfortunately, many new writers use chord progressions that don’t have any sense of direction or harmonic goal. The chords just wander aimlessly and don’t flow properly, giving the impression that they aren’t actually going anywhere. As a result, there’s a danger that the song won’t feel right to listeners … and they’ll quickly lose interest.
A good harmonic progression in any key has three basic parts: the home chord (e.g. C in the key of C); destination chords such as the ‘pre-dominant’ (D, F, etc. in the key of C) or the ‘ultimate harmonic’ (E, A, etc. in the key of C). The dominant or ‘turning’ chord (e.g. G or G7 in the key of C) then completes the progression by returning to the home chord (C).
As you try to evoke different moods to match your lyrics, some of your destination chords can be less predictable and more ambitious—such as chords that don’t necessarily exist within your chosen key. What is essential, though, is that you complete the musical journey by finding a sensible way of getting back to the home chord.
It is this return to the home chord that leaves the listener feeling subconsciously ‘satisfied’ because the progression has been harmonically resolved.
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