Bruno Mars' sophisticated R&B progression
Hey music makers!
The gap between hearing harmony and playing it back comes down to storage.
When we struggle to reproduce familiar progressions, our brain is saying: "I've heard this… but I didn't store it well enough to use.”
Today, I want to show you a learning hack backed by neuroscience that can change that — and help you recognize harmony faster.
Real Song. Real Progression
💿 "Versace on the Floor" by Bruno Mars
Key: D major
Progression (chorus): D(add9) → F#m7 → Gma7 → A → Asus4
Roman Numerals: I(add9) → iii7 → IVma7 → V → Vsus
This is a masterclass in R&B/pop smoothness:
The I–iii–IV–V move is a classic emotional lift
The add9 and ma7 chords bring lush color and sophistication
The V and Vsus combo closes the loop with just enough tension to keep it cycling smoothly.
Here's the thing about progressions like this: they sound complex, but they're built on familiar foundations.
The magic isn't in exotic chords — it's in how extensions, voice leading, and suspended dominant chords transform basic relationships into something that feels sophisticated.
🧠 Term of the Week: Multisensory Learning
What it sounds like: When harmony suddenly "clicks" because you're learning it multiple ways at once.
What it is: Using more than one sense such as hearing, seeing, and moving, when you study music. Research shows this can significantly improve both recall ability and pattern recognition speed.
Why it works: When we combine sight and sound (like reading chord symbols while hearing the music), the brain creates stronger, more flexible memory pathways.
It's like giving your brain multiple doors to access the same musical idea.
The CARS Method: I discovered this approach by noticing a pattern in my own learning.
Progressions I could visualize in my mind, and specifically those I'd made chord charts for, had much stronger retention.
This insight became the foundation for what I now call the CARS system:
Copy - Write progressions by hand (borrowed from Benjamin Franklin's writing technique)
Associate - Listen while reading lead sheets
Recall - Practice from memory
Space - Distribute practice over time
This method leverages proven learning principles from cognitive science.
The physical act of copying engages motor memory, association builds neural connections, recall strengthens retention, and spaced practice prevents forgetting.
🎯 Challenge for the Week
Pick any chord progression you love and try the CARS approach:
Step 1: Write out the chord symbols by hand while listening
Step 2: Listen to the song while following your written chart
Step 3: Play or sing the progression from memory
Step 4: Return to it tomorrow and the day after (spaced practice)
Notice how engaging multiple senses makes the progression feel more familiar and accessible.
Creator Toolkit
🗺️ Harmony GPS: Solves the "I know this but can't play it" problem with a 30-day systematic approach to chord progressions. Using methods like CARS, you'll train your ear, eye, and memory to work together. Built for creators tired of random tutorials, with brief daily sessions, you get the harmony foundations you've been missing. (Learn More)
🗝️ Harmony Vault: Your library of over 260 curated chord progressions, organized and searchable for instant access. No more losing track of progressions you love or starting every song from scratch. Built for creators who want proven harmonic ideas at their fingertips, with quick transposition tools to fit any key or style. (Learn More)
⏪ ICYMI
Four Chords Isn't Too Simple : (Music Maker's Journal)
That's a wrap
What's a progression that you "know" when you hear it, but struggle to play back?
Sometimes the gap between recognition and recall is just about how we store musical information in our brains.
See you next week.
Melvin ✌🏾
