Finally figured out how to stop writing boring chord progressions...
Hey there, music makers!
I've spent way too many years trying to crack the code of great chord progressions.
I taught myself piano, studied theory books, and tried every "secret" method out there. Despite practicing hundreds of songs, I still hit a creative wall whenever I tried to write something original.
Music got a bit simpler when I found a songwriting book by a professor at Berklee College of Music
For those who might not know, Berklee is where some of the biggest names in music and film got their start.
The college has educated a lot of incredible music creators including Jessica Rae Huber who worked on The Walking Dead and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Pinar Toprak who scored Captain Marvel, and John Mayer, the guitar legend himself.
So when I found this book, you can imagine how excited I was to dig in.
What Are Power Progressions?
Here's what I learned: certain chord progressions have been used in countless songs because there's something inherently powerful about them – something that makes them memorable.
These sequences are called "power progressions," and they're the building blocks that countless hit songs are built upon.
Professional songwriters understand these fundamental progressions like craftsmen use their tools. Take the I-vi-IV-V and ii-V-I progressions in a major key – The Beatles used these in "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
Simple? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.
Or consider the clever use of the I - bVII - IV in Mixolydian and the i - IV in minor used in Night Fever by the Bee Gees to contrast the verse from the chorus with two distinct moods.
Why Power Progressions Matter
What makes these progressions brilliant is their versatility.
They're like musical foundations that you can build upon and customize. Each one carries its own emotional weight and character, yet remains flexible enough to support various melodies and styles.
Here's what makes them so valuable:
They're proven to work (tested across thousands of hit songs)
They're flexible enough to support entire songs
They can be reconfigured in different combinations
They work within specific key colors
In the previous newsletter, I introduced a concept that I've been learning about called key colors.
There are 5 common ones used in most music and these colors create different emotional environments for music. Specific power progressions exist in each key color and learning those simple progressions gives you good control over the emotion of your music.
I've recently released the Music Maker's Chord Progression Database.
It's built from my personal collection of progressions, including power progressions for each key color. It's also organized by key colors and includes over 100 progressions ready for your creative exploration.
The Real Game-Changer
When I first came across this concept, I wanted to jump out of my seat.
It felt like cracking a code. It simplified the whole process of writing chord progressions into something systematic yet creative. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you're building on time-tested musical DNA.
More importantly – you can shape into something uniquely yours.
🎯 Challenge for the Week
Pick one power progression from this newsletter.
Create your own groove.
Create your own melody to go with the progression.
Bonus step: Add a second power progression that you can use to either contrast the same song section or create a new section.
You'll be amazed at how versatile these progressions can be.
🧠 Quote of the week
"Systems are not sexy – but they really DO drive everything we do!" - Carrie Wilkerson
Enjoy your week,
Melvin Darrell
