Chord progression

Under a progression is understood in the music any sequence of chords. While a cadence with a formulaic exercise leads to a destination, there are no special rules for progressions or style specifications. Progressions are not limited to a particular shape.

This term is often used in jazz, but increasingly also used in popular music, especially when songwriters, composers and musicians communicate with each other about their work. The word is spelled the same in the English language.

Accompanied by melodies

Compositions in jazz and popular music are often based on progressions that accompany a melody harmony. In the pop music is often produced out the melody and chords are then added as an accompaniment. In jazz, it is often the other way around: The chords are on paper and the musicians improvise then "live" to their tunes.

One and the same melody may be accompanied with many different progressions, where they each evokes a very different experience. Songwriters and composers make the advantage to make their pieces varied and interesting.

If repeated a relatively short progression continually in one piece, it is called a harmonic ostinato.