Chord progressionss progress. They must imply movement. So we listen in the context of "key" or "scale." In the key of C, the chords that naturally occur are: Cmaj Dmin Emin Fmaj Gmaj Amin Bdim, based on the scale progression: do re mi, etc. Now, for fun, look at the do re mi's. The "i" words are a half step away from the next note in the scale: do_re_mi-fa_sol_la_ti-do. As a result, when we play do re mi, we want to hear fa...when we play sol la ti, we want to hear do. It's like the old "shave and a hair cut...ten cents." C G G A G....B C. If you sing that and stop with the B, people will expect the C to follow.

This holds true with the basic chords (maj min dim) Now, when we extend the chords, we get even more of this. There are "static" chords, such as Cmajor seven, then there are "active" chords such as C seven. You can sit on the C major seven all day, once you play that C seven, you want to hear F.

So, for composers, it is advised to learn what chords want to go where, then use that phenomenon to either bring a sense of going home, as in :C F G7 C; or of going somewhere unexpected; as in C F G7 D; or to simply languish, as in: Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7. In this way, the chords "progress."

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music