Harmonic progressions – Down a 5th

After learning all the types of chords and seventh chords, we need to discuss how chords can be put together into harmonic progressions.

When we talk about chord progressions, we most often talk about the movement of the roots of the chords.

Remember, for triads and seventh chords, the root is the bottom note of a chord when the chord is built in 3rds.

Therefore, in all the chords shown below, the root of the chord is F – even though all the chords have different qualities.

Down a fifth chord progressions

One of the strongest and most common chord progressions is the progression of chords whose roots move down a 5th. The most common down a 5th progression is V-I (dominant – tonic). In the key of C (shown below), this is a G chord to a C chord.

This progression can be extended back a 5th resulting in the progression ii-V-I, a very common progression in jazz music.

And if we extend the down a 5th progression one more time by starting on the vi chord, the chord whose root is a 5th above ii, we get the common progression vi-ii-V-I.

If we start with a tonic chord (I) and move the chord roots down in 5ths, we get the complete cycle of down a 5th root movements:

Notated in the key of C, this progression would look and sound like the following:

Examples from Literature

Below are several examples of down a 5th progressions.

Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 21 (“Waldstein”), Mvt 1, ms 103-110

The first example is from Western Art Music (WAM).

In the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21, the “Waldstein,” there is a down a 5th chord progression between measures 103-110.

A reduction of the chords found in the above measures is shown below.

Note the roots of the chords (highlighted with purple blocks) fall by 5ths – C-F-Bb then start again in ms105 with Gb-Cb-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-D-F. The 5th from Gb-C is not a perfect 5th; in a complete cycle of 5ths, one must change to stay in the key (here, F minor).

It is interesting to note in the above example, the top note of the piano line is also a series of fifths (or fourths).

“Charleston” by Cecil Mack and Jimmy Johnson

In this famous popular piece from the 1920s, there are several down a 5th progression. They are marked in the example below with purple and blue blocks; each time the color changes, a new down a 5th progression starts.

Rhythm Changes

The final example is the set of jazz chords made famous in Gershwin’s song I Got Rhythm. This set of chord changes has been used in many different songs (see this list online). It is known to jazz performers as “Rhythm Changes” after the title of the song. The set of chords shown below is one version of these rhythm changes.

The different down a 5th progressions are marked by blue, purple, and red blocks. Each time the color changes, a new down a 5th progression starts.