# Jp Chord Progressions

> Quick-reference library of standard Japanese chord progressions - Ōdō shinkō (royal road, 4536), Canon progression, Komuro progression, Maru-sa progression, cyclic/reverse-cyclic patterns, clichés, descending bass lines, minor two-five and 100+ more patterns, with mood tags and usage scenes. Use when the user needs a ready-made chord progression, wants to know which progression fits a given mood, or wants to identify or vary classic Japanese progressions.

- Skill: `jtydhr88/jp-chord-progressions` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jtydhr88/jp-chord-progressions`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jtydhr88/jp-chord-progressions/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: jtydhr88 (https://skillmd.com/u/jtydhr88)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jtydhr88/jp-chord-progressions

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# Standard Japanese Chord Progression Quick-Reference Library

110+ standard progressions compiled (deduplicated and merged) from three Japanese composition textbooks:

- 《もっと！思いどおりに作曲ができる本》 (Ken Kawamura, Rittor Music), Chapter 5 progression patterns No.1–81
- 《できる ゼロからはじめる作曲 超入門》, Appendix 1 practical progressions ①–⑯ (plus glossary entries)
- 《クリエイター＆エンジニア直伝！プロの曲作りテクニック》, KOUGA's "simple chord progressions" feature, 25 patterns

## How to use

- Every entry uses the uniform format: `Degrees | Key=C letter example | Mood/Scene | Notes`.
- Degrees are universal "jersey numbers" portable to any key (DAW transposition / guitar capo / the 12-key diatonic chord table all work).
- Notation conventions: `△7` = major seventh chord; `m7(♭5)` = half-diminished seventh; `X/Y` and `X(onY)` are synonymous = slash chord (Y is the bass note); `·` = chord changes every 2 beats within one bar; `｜` = bar grouping in 8-bar patterns; `%` = repeat the previous bar.
- Minor-key progressions are demonstrated in Key=Am (degrees treat Am as Im).
- This file contains **category navigation + the ~40 most-used progressions**; the complete list (118 entries, including all clichés/pedal patterns, borrowed-chord types, 20 minor-key entries, all eight 8-bar patterns, and source numbers) is in [progressions-full.md](progressions-full.md) in the same directory.

## Decision flow for choosing a progression

1. **Decide the section first**: the A section (verse) favors stability and space (I–IV–I, C–Dm–Em–F, pedal types); the B section (pre-chorus) should build anticipation (Em–F–G–Am, ascending-root types, dominant function at the end); the chorus (サビ, sabi) uses high-impact standards (4536, F–G–C–Am, Canon, Komuro).
2. **Then decide bright vs. dark**: straight-ahead bright → §2; bright with setsunasa (切なさ, bittersweet ache) → Ōdō 4536 / §3; thorough melancholy → §5 minor types; urbane and sophisticated → §4 / Maru-sa.
3. **Loop or resolve**: for a section that loops, choose progressions ending on dominant function (V/IV/V types); to close a section, choose ones landing back on tonic function (I/VIm).
4. **Need individuality**: lay down a standard progression first, then locally rework it with the §8 variation techniques (secondary-dominant substitution, slash chords, borrowing, two-five expansion) — most "never-heard-before" progressions are clever applications of the standards.

## Quick navigation (find a category by need)

| Desired effect | Where to look |
|---|---|
| J-Pop chorus impact, catchiness, "that exact sound" | §1 Famous named progressions, §2 Ōdō J-Pop types |
| Setsunasa (heart-wrenching/bittersweet), brightness tinged with sorrow, R&B/city pop | §3 Sentimental types |
| Oshare (おしゃれ, stylish/urbane), jazz, bossa, two-five | §4 Jazz/urban types |
| Melancholy, enka/kayōkyoku, driving minor, Spanish flavor | §5 Minor types |
| Inner-voice/bass-line design, intro/interlude coloring | §6 Cliché/line types |
| More dramatic large-scale sections, jazz-standard skeletons | §7 8-bar large-scale progressions |
| Rock non-diatonic, two-chord vamps, parallel sus2 motion, etc. | [progressions-full.md](progressions-full.md) §4 |

## Mood reverse-lookup table

| Mood tag (original "Feeling Tags") | First-choice progressions |
|---|---|
| Akarui (明るい, bright) / powerful | I–IV–V–I / F–G–C–Am / Pop-punk progression (ポップパンク進行) |
| Setsunai (切ない) / emoi (エモい) — heart-wrenching | Ōdō shinkō 4536 / C–E7–F–Fm / IVm types (C–Fm–C) |
| Hokkori (ほっこり, warm and cozy) | C–Dm–Em–F / C–Am–F–G / C–Gm7·C7–F |
| Oshare (おしゃれ, stylish/urban) | Maru-sa progression / ura-code (tritone-sub) progression / two-five-one / F/G dominant substitute |
| Melancholy / enka / kayōkyoku | Am–G–F–E / Am–Dm–E7–Am / minor two-five |
| Sōdai (壮大, grand, epic ballad) | C–Bm7(♭5)·E7–Am types / 8-bar Canon / descending-bass cliché |
| Sudden twists / complexity (急展開・複雑) | Em–F–Am–G / F–Dm–G–Em·E7 / C–B7–Em7–E♭ |
| Danceable (ダンサブル) | F△7–E7–Am–C7 + four-on-the-floor / C7(9,13)–F7(9,13) riff |

---

## §1 Famous named progressions (Japanese industry nicknames — must-know)

### 1. Ōdō shinkō (王道進行, "royal road" progression, ヨンゴーサンロク "yon-go-san-roku" = 4536)

- `IV△7–V7–IIIm7–VIm7 | F△7–G7–Em7–Am7 | Bright-to-dark contrast, setsunasa, all-purpose chorus | The most-used progression in J-Pop`
- The name is simply the degrees 4-5-3-6. Chords 4 and 5 are major, 3 and 6 are minor — the **drop from bright to dark** is exactly where the "setsunasa" comes from; alongside the Canon progression it is one of the two Kings of Japanese pop standards.
- Variants:
  - `IV△7–V7–III7–VIm7` (F△7–G7–E7–Am7): III becomes a dominant seventh — stronger tearfulness and a stronger pull toward VIm.
  - `IV△7–V(onIV)–IIIm7–VI7` (F△7–G/F–Em7–A7): the slash chord in bar 2 is the "kyun" (キュン, heart-skip) point.
- For the 8-bar extension see §7 (first half 4536 + second half dominant motion).

### 2. Canon progression (カノン進行)

- `I–V–VIm–IIIm–IV–I–IIm–V | C–G–Am–Em–F–C–Dm–G | The royal road among royal roads, nostalgic and moving | Derived from Pachelbel's Canon`
- The inverted form `C–G/B–Am–Em/G–F–C/E–Dm–G` makes the **bass descend stepwise along the scale** (C-B-A-G-F-E-D-G) = a bass-line cliché (ベースラインクリシェ).
- Famous songs: ZARD「負けないで」, あいみょん「マリーゴールド」, スピッツ「チェリー」, and 「ハレ晴レユカイ」 from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
- The 4-chord simplified form `C–G–Am–Em` (I–V–VIm–IIIm) is equally standard; ending Em→G loops more easily (the dominant at the end flows smoothly back to the tonic).
- For the chromaticized version (bass C–B–B♭–A–A♭–F#–G) see §6.

### 3. Komuro progression (小室進行, 6451)

- `VIm–IV–V–I | Am–F–G–C | Minor-colored opening → stable major resolution | The sound of the 1990s J-Pop golden age`
- Named after producer **Tetsuya Komuro (小室哲哉)**, who used it extensively; it is "engraved into Japanese listeners' auditory memory" and remains common today.
- Can be seen as the pop-punk variant 6415 with the last two chords swapped; a close relative: `Am–G–F–C` (6541, stepwise descending bass, more lyrical).

### 4. Maru-sa progression (丸サ進行) / Just The Two Of Us progression (4361)

- `IV–III7–VIm–I | F–E7–Am–C | Oshare, urban, emo | Synonymous with city pop / neo-soul`
- Named after Ringo Sheena's 「丸の内サディスティック」 (Marunouchi Sadistic) and Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just The Two Of Us" (1980, from the album Winelight).
- E7 is the **secondary dominant** pointing to Am — the "emo point" (エモ・ポイント); works both as a one-shot accent and as a whole-song loop, and "almost any melody over it comes out stylish."
- The seventh-chord reinforced version `F△7–E7–Am–C7` (IV△7–III7–VIm–I7) over a four-on-the-floor kick suits techno/dance.

### 5. Pop-punk progression (ポップパンク進行, 1564)

- `I–V–VIm–IV | C–G–Am–F | Bright, powerful, universal worldwide | The Beatles "Let It Be", Frozen "Let It Go"`
- Rotating the same four chords to a different starting point yields the common variants `4156` (F–C–G–Am) and `6415` (Am–F–C–G); whether the first/last chord is major or minor determines the overall bright/dark character.

### 6. 1-6-2-5 (イチロクニーゴー, "ichi-roku-nī-gō") / cyclic progression (循環コード, 1625)

- `I–VIm–IIm–V | C–Am–Dm–G | Retro loop, section cadence | The classic cyclic progression long nicknamed "1-6-2-5"`
- The seventh-chord version `C–Am7–Dm7–G7` is also standard; it sounds a bit retro today, and deliberately leaning into that is a valid move.
- The second half 2→5 is the **two-five (ツーファイブ)**: IIm is the substitute for IV, and the bass makes a strong leap up a fourth — more forceful than 4→5.
- Typical usage: loop `C–Am–F–G` three times, then swap in this progression once on the fourth pass to build a "trigger" into the next section.

### 7. Reverse cycle (逆循環, gyaku-junkan, "gyaku-jun" ギャクジュン, 2516)

- `IIm–V–I–VIm | Dm–G–C–Am | Mature loop starting from the subdominant | The standard "rotated entry point" of the cyclic progression`
- Key insight: it is not the chords in literal reverse order, but a two-group structure — "the motion-function group (2→5) first, the tonic-function group (1→6) last."
- Seventh-chord version `Dm7–G7–C△7–Am7`: it does not start on the tonic; the two-five circles back to the tonic from the opposite direction.

### 8. Dorikamu progression (ドリカム進行, "Dreams Come True progression")

- `I△7–VIIm7–IIIm7–IIIm7(onII) | C△7–Bm7–Em7–Em7/D | Heart-wrenching but can also sound cool | The Dreams Come True progression`
- Its character changes drastically with tempo and melody; the variant `C△7–B7–Em7–G7` (VIIm7→VII7) is more tearful, with the final dominant seventh strengthening the return-to-tonic motion.

---

## §2 Ōdō J-Pop types (bright, catchy, major-key loops)

| Degrees | Key=C | Mood/Scene | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V–I | C–F–G–C | Straight-ahead, simple, lyric-friendly | The "King of Kings" progression. Famous songs: 竹内まりや「元気を出して」, 湘南乃風「純恋歌」 |
| IV–V–I–VIm | F–G–C–Am | Ace chorus opener, grand | Starting from IV easily creates strong flow toward the tonic; the "ace card" for pop choruses, also universal in dance music |
| IV–V–VIm–I | F–G–Am–C | Bright with a streak of setsunasa | Swept through 1990s Japanese pop; combine with the previous entry to fine-tune the amount of setsunasa |
| I–VIm–IV–V | C–Am–F–G | Cute, bouncy | Loop-heavy, easy fingering; example: A section of 山崎育三郎「こどもこころ」 |
| I–IV–VIm–V | C–F–Am–G | Scene-change accent | The surprise of Am after C–F; most effective used just once at the end of a ballad bridge |
| I–IIIm–IIm–V | C–Em–Dm–G | Sweet-and-sour (bright yet wistful) | Simple rock feel à la スピッツ or JUDY AND MARY; good for intros |
| I–IIm–IIIm–IV | C–Dm–Em–F | Warm, ascending anticipation | Roots climb stepwise; loop seams are easy to manage — rotate through intro/interlude/solo |
| IIIm–IV–V–VIm | Em–F–G–Am | Mounting anticipation, very cool | Bass climbs stepwise; variants 4563 and 6345 ("anticipation-amplifying" progressions); swapping the first chord for C/E makes it lighter |
| VIm–V–IV–I | Am–G–F–C | Lyrical, flowing descent | Stepwise descending, melodic bass; frequent in recent pop, with a calm and beautiful ending |
| I–IIm7–IV–V7 | C–Dm7–F–G7 | Emotion inevitably rises | Roots ascend 1→2→4→5; extremely widely used, from verse-into-chorus to ballads and up-tempo songs |

## §3 Sentimental types (setsunasa, emo, R&B)

| Degrees | Key=C | Mood/Scene | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I–III7–IV–IVm | C–E7–F–Fm | Brightness and setsunasa coexisting | Contains two minor-borrowed notes; universal from Japanese folk to British pop |
| I–IVm–I | C–Fm–C | Guaranteed to yield beautiful melodies | Representative use of the **subdominant minor** (サブドミナントマイナー, IVm); the bass often stays on I during the IVm |
| I–IIIm–IV–IVm | C–Em–F–Fm | Unexpected setsunasa | Smooth semitone-like slide toward the subdominant, then the subdominant minor suddenly appears — very satisfying |
| IV△7–IIIm7–IIm7–I△7 | F△7–Em7–Dm7–C△7 | Pop/R&B standard | Famous through "Lovin' You"; inserting #IVm7(♭5) before looping back is very hip |
| I–V·III7–VIm–II7 | C–G·E7–Am–D7 | Complex feelings for a ballad | Bar 2 changes every 2 beats; Official髭男dism "Pretender" also uses this shape |
| I–VIIm7(♭5)·III7–VIm–v7·I | C–Bm7(♭5)·E7–Am–Gm7·C | Grand, information-dense | The sense of contrast creates grandeur; played fast it becomes the driving "gori-gori" push of 「ミックスナッツ」 |
| I–v7·I7–IV–IIm·V | C–Gm7·C7–F–Dm·G | Warm emo | Gm7–C7 = a two-five aimed at IV; surprise plus a "mune-kyun" (heart-flutter) feeling |
| IIIm–VIm–II7–V | Em–Am–D7–G | A trigger into the next section | D7 is a secondary dominant; e.g. the propulsive phrase in the B section of Ringo Sheena's 「幸福論」 |

## §4 Jazz/urban types (oshare)

| Degrees | Key=C | Mood/Scene | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIm7–V7–I△7 | Dm7–G7–C△7 | The absolute jazz standard | **Two-five-one** (ツーファイブワン, 2-5-1); variant D7–G7; easy to build emotional stacking |
| I–#Idim–IIm7–V7 | C–C#dim–Dm7–G7 | Nostalgic "good old days" | Passing diminished chord (**パッシングディミニッシュ**); jazz swing / old-school styles. Variant: append Gaug7 at the end (the rising semitone line re→re#→mi brightens it — bossa/musical-theater flavor) |
| I△7–VI7–IIm7–♭II7 | C△7–A7–Dm7–D♭7 | Suave, seasoned (shibui 渋い) | **Ura-code** (裏コード, tritone substitution ♭II7) replacing G7 — the essence of jazz |
| I△7–II7–IV–IV(onV) | C△7–D7–F–F/G | Floating feeling | The secondary dominant II7's target V7 never arrives; **F/G** often replaces G7 (effectively = G7sus4(9), subtler and more refined than G7 — a city pop favorite) |
| IVm–♭VII(7)–I | Fm–B♭(7)–C | Coming home through the back door | **Backdoor cadence** (バックドアケーデンス): borrowed IVm and ♭VII7 resolving to the tonic |
| I△7⇄IV△7 | C△7–%–F△7–% | Bossa/relaxed | An infinite two-chord loop, especially good over a bossa nova groove; reversed order is calmer and moodier |

## §5 Minor types (Key=Am — melancholy, drive)

| Degrees | Key=Am | Mood/Scene | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Im–♭VI–♭VII–Im | Am–F–G–Am | The all-purpose minor loop | Takes any melody; add9 versions are lighter — works from pop to rock |
| Im–IVm–V7–Im | Am–Dm–E7–Am | Heart-wrenching, moving | Replacing Vm with the harmonic/melodic-minor **V7** is the most fundamental minor-key reinforcement; swap in G#dim for a hymn/classical feel |
| Im–♭VII–♭VI–V | Am–G–F–E | Enka / kayōkyoku / Spanish | The source of countless famous songs — the standard of standards for the **Spanish** (スパニッシュ) sound; the ending is guaranteed setsunasa |
| Im–♭VI△7–IIm7(♭5)–V7 | Am–F△7–Bm7(♭5)–E7 | Melancholy + driving momentum | **Minor two-five** (マイナー・ツーファイブ, IIm7(♭5)→V7): a chanson/jazz standard, deeply loved in Japan |
| Im7–IVm7–♭VII7–♭III△7 | Am7–Dm7–G7–C△7 | Melancholy opening → sudden clearing | Once used in the intro of a major Japanese hit; from the 2nd chord on = a two-five-one in the relative major |
| Im–Im△7(onVII)–Im7(on♭VII)–IV7 | Am–Am△7/G#–Am7/G–D7 | Heart-wrenching yet smooth | The standard minor cliché: chromatic descending root A→G#→G; used everywhere from up-tempo to ballads |
| Im–♭III–IV–♭VI | Am–C–D–F | Masculine + melancholy | Loops indefinitely; also works in 3/4 — western/gothic/decadent flavors |

## §6 Cliché/line types (inner-voice and bass design)

| Degrees | Key=C | Mood/Scene | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I–Iaug–I6–I7 | C–Caug–C6–C7 | Mysterious exhilaration | The fifth walks alone G→G#→A→B♭, drifting between major and minor colors; the all-diatonic version C–C6–C△7–C6 is bright and calm |
| I–I7(on♭VII)–IV(onVI)–IVm(on♭VI) | C–C7/B♭–F/A–Fm/A♭ | Dramatic | Descending bass C→B♭→A→A♭; widely used from grand ballads to up-tempo songs |
| I–V/VII–♭VII–IV/VI–IVm/♭VI–II/#IV–IV/V | C–G/B–B♭–F/A–Fm/A♭–D/F#–F/G | Chromaticized Canon | The bass descends chromatically to the dominant; a single line collecting parallel-minor borrowing + secondary dominant + the F/G dominant substitute |
| I–#Im(♭5)–IIm–#IIm(♭5)–IIIm–IV–II/#IV–V | C–C#m(♭5)–Dm–D#m(♭5)–Em–F–D/F#–G | Chromatic ascent | A volley of passing diminished chords; understand C#m(♭5) as A7 with the root omitted (Dm family) |
| I–V(onI)–IV(onI)–V | C–G/C–F/C–G | Color shifts in place, anticipation | The representative pedal-point (root held) slash-chord pattern; swap the 4th chord for Fm/G to create "anticipation of a dramatic development" — great for intros |

## §7 8-bar large-scale progressions

| Degrees | Key=C/Am | Mood/Scene | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I–V/VII–VIm–V｜IV–I/III–IIm7–V7 | C–G/B–Am–G｜F–C/E–Dm7–G7 | The King of Japanese pop standards | The standard 8-bar form of the Canon progression; stepwise bass descent C-B-A-G-F-E-D-G; many upper-chord variants |
| IIm7–V7–I△7–IV△7｜VIIm7(♭5)–III7–VIm7–VI7 | Dm7–G7–C△7–F△7｜Bm7(♭5)–E7–Am7–A7 | Extremely propulsive | The **circle-of-fourths progression** (4度進行), from jazz standards; strong root motion throughout — excerpting a portion also works |
| Im–Im7/♭VII–VIm7(♭5)–♭VI△7｜IVm7(9)–♭III/V–♭VI△7–V/VII | Am–Am7/G–F#m7(♭5)–F△7｜Dm7(9)–C/E–F△7–E/G# | Shadowed gloom (翳り, kageri) and setsunasa | A large-scale minor progression the Japanese have long favored; kayōkyoku and deep blues — change the rhythm and it rocks |

---

## §8 Variation techniques for standard progressions (turn one progression into ten)

The following techniques can be applied to any progression in this library; they are the "standard → original" pathway all three textbooks emphasize repeatedly:

1. **Rotate the entry point**: start the same chord set from a different chord (1564→4156→6415; 1625→2516 reverse cycle). Whether the first/last chord is major or minor determines the overall bright/dark character.
2. **Seventh-ization / add9-ization**: adding 7ths to all triads (Am–Dm–Em→Am7–Dm7–Em7) instantly adds a modern pop feel; add9-ization (Am–F–G→Amadd9–Fadd9–Gadd9) is lighter and softer.
3. **III→III7 (secondary-dominant-ization)**: swapping IIIm for III7 is the fastest "naki" (泣き, tearfulness) switch (4536→45{III7}6; same in the Canon progression). A secondary dominant (A7/B7/C7/D7/E7) can be placed before any diatonic chord.
4. **Slash-chord-ization (bass-line design)**: use inversions to make the bass move stepwise (Canon progression C–G/B–Am–Em/G…), or chromaticize it (C–G/B–B♭–F/A–Fm/A♭–D/F#–F/G); the dominant chord can be replaced with F/G (=G7sus4(9)) for a subtler, more refined sound.
5. **sus4 insertion**: insert Vsus4 before the V at a section's end (F→Gsus4→G) to emphasize the "chapter closed" cadence; adding it only on the final repeat also works.
6. **Two-five-ization**: split out IIm7 before a V (E7→Bm7(♭5)–E7; G7→Dm7–G7) for a more refined sound; the IV-directed Gm7–C7 brings a warm surprise.
7. **Beat-count adjustment and splicing**: a 4-bar pattern can be compressed to 2 beats per chord (the C–G·E7–Am–D7 type); pick 4-bar patterns that match your taste and splice them into 8 bars — melodies emerge naturally.
8. **Parallel-key borrowing**: IV→IVm, or adding ♭VI/♭VII/♭III, instantly yields setsunasa or rock grit; for aggressive examples see the full list §4.

## §9 Famous-song → progression index (as recorded in the notes)

| Famous song | Progression used |
|---|---|
| ZARD「負けないで」 / あいみょん「マリーゴールド」 / スピッツ「チェリー」 / 「ハレ晴レユカイ」 | Canon progression (カノン進行) |
| The Beatles "Let It Be" / Frozen "Let It Go" | Pop-punk progression (ポップパンク進行, 1564) |
| 竹内まりや「元気を出して」 / 湘南乃風「純恋歌」 | I–IV–V–I |
| 椎名林檎「丸の内サディスティック」 / Grover Washington Jr. "Just The Two Of Us" | Maru-sa progression (丸サ進行, F–E7–Am–C) |
| Minnie Riperton "Lovin' You" | F△7–Em7–Dm7–C△7 |
| Official髭男dism「Pretender」 | C–G·E7–Am–D7 |
| Official髭男dism「ミックスナッツ」 | C–Bm7(♭5)·E7–Am–Gm7·C (played fast) |
| 椎名林檎「幸福論」(B section) | Em–Am–D7–G |
| 荒井由実「やさしさに包まれたなら」(B section) | F–Dm–G–Em·E7 |
| 山崎育三郎「こどもこころ」(A section) | C–Am–F–G |
| 蒼井翔太「ココに」(chorus opening) | Canon progression (カノン進行) |

## §10 Transposition table (major-key diatonic triads)

The degrees are always `I–IIm–IIIm–IV–V–VIm–VIIm(♭5)`; plug the degrees of any progression in this library into the desired key.

| Key | I | IIm | IIIm | IV | V | VIm | VIIm(♭5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bm(♭5) |
| D♭ | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cm(♭5) |
| D | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm | C#m(♭5) |
| E♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm(♭5) |
| E | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m | D#m(♭5) |
| F | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | Em(♭5) |
| F# | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m | E#m(♭5) |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F#m(♭5) |
| A♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm(♭5) |
| A | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m | G#m(♭5) |
| B♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | Am(♭5) |
| B | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | G#m | A#m(♭5) |

Minor keys (based on natural minor): `Im–IIm(♭5)–♭III–IVm–Vm (V major is common in practice)–♭VI–♭VII`; e.g. Key=Am: Am–Bm(♭5)–C–Dm–Em/E–F–G.

## Practical tips (shared wisdom across all three books)

1. **Substitute-chord swapping**: chords of the same function are interchangeable (T: C/Em/Am; SD: F/Dm; D: G/Bm(♭5)). G→Bm(♭5) adds poignancy, Em→G increases loopability, C→Am darkens the ending, C→Em increases complexity — changing just one chord changes the color of the story; the melody may clash, so let your ears make the final call.
2. **Looping vs. resolving**: to loop, put dominant function (D) at the end of the progression so it flows back to the opening tonic; to resolve, end on T. The functional flow = the "ki-shō-ten-ketsu" (intro-development-turn-conclusion) of stability (T) ⇄ instability (SD/D).
3. **Secondary dominants** are the first weapon for naturally introducing non-diatonic notes: A7→Dm, B7→Em, C7→F, D7→G (double dominant), E7→Am — usually used in 7th form.
4. **The bass determines chord function**: with the same upper chord, changing the bass note changes the whole progression (upper C triad + bass A = Am7); working backward from a bass line to the chords is also an effective composition method.
5. **Top note = melody**: the ear perceives the highest note as melody; redesigning the top-note line of the same progression via voicing (inversion) — "changing the voicing is itself composing."
6. **The trick to introducing non-diatonic chords**: find a chord sharing common tones with its neighbors (e.g. F#m7(♭5) shares C and A with F); common-tone linkage can also serve as a trigger for gradual modulation.
7. **One-shot accent vs. loop**: most "exotic" progressions (secondary dominants, two-fives, surprise chords) work best **used exactly once at a section's end or at the moment you most want heard**; looping them start-to-finish dilutes the impact.
8. **Transposition**: memorize all progressions by degrees; major-key diatonic chords are always I·IIm·IIIm·IV·V·VIm·VIIm(♭5) (e.g. Key=E: E–F#m–G#m–A–B–C#m–D#m(♭5)) — cross-reference the table to use any progression in any key.

> Full complete list (118 entries, including all pedal/cliché types, 20 minor-key entries, borrowed/rock types, two-chord vamps, all eight 8-bar patterns, and source numbers): [progressions-full.md](progressions-full.md)