Music theory glossary
Definitions for the terms you’ll see in Chord Progressor. Use the search box to filter, but everything below is fully crawlable.
- Roman numerals
- Chord symbols relative to a key or scale. Uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° = diminished. Example in C major: I=C, ii=Dm, V=G, vi=Am. See common progressions.
- ii‑V‑I
- The most common functional cadence in major keys: ii (minor) → V (dominant) → I (tonic). It creates tension then resolution. See ii‑V‑I in all keys.
- Tonnetz
- A “tone network” that connects triads by shared tones. Neighbor moves P (Parallel), L (Leading‑tone exchange), and R (Relative) change only one note for smooth voice leading. See Tonnetz P/L/R guide.
- Voice leading
- The way individual chord tones move from one chord to the next. Good voice leading uses small steps and common tones. Tonnetz moves are built around minimal voice leading.
- Diatonic
- Belonging to the current scale. A diatonic progression uses only chords built from scale tones.
- Borrowed chords
- Chords taken from a parallel mode (same tonic, different scale). Example: in C major, borrowing iv (Fm) or bVII (Bb) from C minor. Also called modal mixture.
- Modal mixture
- Mixing chords from parallel major/minor or other modes. It adds color while keeping the same tonic. See the “Try borrowing color” section in common progressions.
- Secondary dominant
- A dominant chord that resolves to something other than the tonic, temporarily tonicizing a new chord. Example in C major: D7 (V/V) resolves to G (V).
- Pivot / modulation
- Using a chord or short passage to move to a new key or scale. The app’s “Break out / pivot ideas” panel suggests practical nearby pivots.
- Harmonic minor
- Minor scale with a raised 7th: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7. Creates a strong dominant (V) in minor keys and yields several jazz modes. See harmonic minor modes.
- Melodic minor (jazz minor)
- Minor scale with raised 6th and 7th ascending: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7. Used for modern minor harmony and altered dominants.
- Bebop scale
- An 8‑note scale that adds a passing tone so chord tones line up with downbeats in eighth‑note lines. See bebop scales guide.
- Mode
- A rotation of a parent scale with a distinct tonal center and characteristic intervals (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, etc.). Modes change the “flavor” of diatonic harmony.