Chord progressions
Original exercises with chord diagrams, strumming patterns and practice tips. From beginner to advanced.
105 progressions
Basic Fingerstyle — Thumb and Two Fingers in C
The simplest fingerstyle pattern uses only three elements: the thumb (p) alternating …
Cross-Picking in G — Bluegrass Flatpick Étude
Cross-picking is the flatpick equivalent of fingerstyle rolling arpeggios: the pick …
Progressive Metal Riff — Chromatic Movement in E Minor
Progressive metal riffs combine the heaviness of traditional metal with the rhythmic …
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…
Celtic Folk Fingerpicking in A Dorian
The Dorian mode (natural minor with a raised 6th degree) is the harmonic signature …
Sweep Picking Arpeggios in A Minor
Sweep picking (or "raking") is the technique of playing multi-string arpeggios with …
Jazz-Funk Fusion Vamp in E Minor
Jazz-funk fusion emerged in the early 1970s with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock's He…
Funk Groove on E7 — James Brown Style 16th-Note Rhythm
James Brown's bands (particularly with guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Phelps Collins) …
Southern Gospel — Walking Bass and Full Chord Voicings in C
Southern gospel guitar combines the walking bass technique of country music with …
Praise Chorus — Basic Gospel in G
Contemporary praise and worship music is the accessible face of gospel music, app…
Progressive Metal — Odd-Measure Riff in D Minor
Progressive metal (Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Gojira, Between the Buried and Me) combines …
Progressive Rock in 7/8 — Odd-Time Riff in E Minor
7/8 time signature is the calling card of progressive rock: seven eighth-note beats …
Tritone Substitution Workout — Full Cycle of Fifths
The tritone substitution is jazz harmony's most powerful tool: any dominant 7th chord …
Guaguancó — Afro-Cuban Rumba in D Minor
Guaguancó is one of the three main forms of Cuban rumba (alongside yambú and columbia),…
Coltrane Changes — Full 12-Bar
Coltrane's harmonic substitution system applied to a 12-bar format.
Country Basics — G, C, D7 in Open Position
Open-position country guitar starts with the same three chords as folk but adds the …
Advanced Travis Picking — Syncopated Melody in G
Merle Travis and Chet Atkins developed the "Travis picking" style in the 1940s and 50s:…
Fingerstyle Pattern Etude in A Minor
The rolling fingerpicking pattern (p-i-m-a-m-i, repeating) is the foundation of c…
Pedal Steel Bends — Country Ballad in G
The pedal steel guitar's signature sound — smooth, sustaining bends that change chord …
Advanced Gospel Changes — 7ths and Chromatic Movement in Bb
Expert gospel guitar combines the emotional directness of spiritual music with th…