Chord Progressions by Emotion & Atmosphere
Instantly find the ideal chord progression for your next song. Use the quick selector or search by feeling, artist, or chord.
Choose a progression in the selector above or pick one below to start:
- Joy & OptimismC – G – Am – F
- Power & Radiant DriveEm – C – G – D
- Rebellion & Electric FuryEm – G – D – C
- Psychedelic Flight & EuphoriaD – C – G – D
- Deep Sadness & VulnerabilityAm – F – C – G
- Nostalgia & 50s Doo-WopC – Am – F – G
- Eternal Love BalladC – Em – F – G
- Hope & Spiritual LiftF – C – G – Am
- Heroic Epic & OvercomingDm – Bb – F – C
- Cosmic Yearning & MysteryAm – C – G – Dm
- Grief & Somber FarewellAm – Dm – Em – Am
- Midnight Blues LamentsAm – Dm – Am – E7
- Warm Romance & BossaCmaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7
- Jazz 2-5-1 EleganceDm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – A7
- Dramatic Tension & Passionate FireAm – G – F – E7
- Mystery & Dramatic TangoDm – Gm – A7 – Dm
- Open Highway & FreedomG – C – D – G
- Acoustic Serenity & WarmthG – Em – C – D
- Anime Anthem & Epic J-RockFmaj7 – G – Em7 – Am7
- Tokyo City Pop & 80s GrooveFmaj7 – Em7 – Dm7 – Cmaj7
- Lo-Fi Chillhop & Neo-SoulDm7 – G13 – Cmaj7 – A7#9
- Flamenco Passion & Andalusian CadenceAm – G – F – E7
- Bossa Nova & Ipanema BreezeCmaj7 – A13 – Dm7 – G13
- Deep Nostalgia & Minor Plagal CadenceC – G – F – Fm
- K-Pop Acoustic BalladFmaj7 – G – Em7 – Am7
How to use it
How Chord Progressions Work by Emotion
Each chord progression creates a specific emotional atmosphere through the tension and resolution between harmonic degrees. The movement between major (bright and open) and minor (introspective or nostalgic) chords defines a song's mood.
Roman Numerals and Harmonic Function
- Degree I (Tonic): The center of rest and stability, a feeling of having arrived home.
- Degrees IV and ii (Subdominant): Introduce movement, air, and openness, moving away from the tonic.
- Degree V or V7 (Dominant): Creates maximum tonal tension and an imperative desire to resolve to the tonic.
- Degree vi (Relative minor): Adds emotional depth and melancholy to major keys.
Key Emotional Formulas
- Nostalgia and Pop Ballad (I - V - vi - IV or vi - IV - I - V): A balanced alternation of euphoria and longing.
- Hope and Triumph (I - IV - V): Direct brightness with no minor shadows, the basis for anthems and optimistic rock.
- Mystery and Dark Melancholy (i - VI - III - VII in minor mode): Cinematic drama and depth.
How to Study Them
Play each progression in a continuous loop at a moderate tempo (70–80 BPM). Listen to how the tension changes between chords before singing or composing over them.
Index of All 25 Chord Progressions by Emotion
Complete catalog of all 25 harmonic chord progressions categorized by mood, featuring scale degrees, sample chords, and links to interactive looping study guides.
Pop & Rock5
- I – V – vi – IVC – G – Am – F
- vi – IV – I – VEm – C – G – D
- i – III – VII – VIEm – G – D – C
- I – ♭VII – IV – ID – C – G – D
- IVmaj7 – V – iiim7 – vim7Fmaj7 – G – Em7 – Am7
Ballads & Emotion6
- vi – IV – I – VAm – F – C – G
- I – vi – IV – VC – Am – F – G
- I – iii – IV – VC – Em – F – G
- IV – I – V – viF – C – G – Am
- I – V – IV – ivC – G – F – Fm
- IVmaj7 – V – iiim7 – vim7Fmaj7 – G – Em7 – Am7
Cinema & Atmosphere3
- i – VI – III – VIIDm – Bb – F – C
- i – III – VII – ivAm – C – G – Dm
- i – iv – v – iAm – Dm – Em – Am
Blues & Jazz6
- i – iv – i – V7Am – Dm – Am – E7
- Imaj7 – vi7 – iim7 – V7Cmaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7
- ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – VI7Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – A7
- IVmaj7 – iiim7 – iim7 – Imaj7Fmaj7 – Em7 – Dm7 – Cmaj7
- iim7 – V13 – Imaj7 – VI7#9Dm7 – G13 – Cmaj7 – A7#9
- Imaj7 – VI13 – iim7 – V13Cmaj7 – A13 – Dm7 – G13
Folk & World Roots5
- i – VII – VI – V7Am – G – F – E7
- i – iv – V7 – iDm – Gm – A7 – Dm
- I – IV – V – IG – C – D – G
- I – vi – IV – VG – Em – C – D
- i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V7Am – G – F – E7
The 25 proposals in numbers
CifraLab proposes 25 progressions, each with an emotion name. 16 are read from a major key, 8 from a minor key and 1 takes a note as the centre without fixing a scale.
The tempo goes from 68 beats per minute in “Grief & Somber Farewell” to 132 in “Anime Anthem & Epic J-Rock”. One beat lasts 882 milliseconds in the slowest and 455 in the fastest.
5 pages cite songs with the passage confirmed. 12 can be heard in an original CifraLab melody. “Dramatic Tension & Passionate Fire” and “Flamenco Passion & Andalusian Cadence” share the same chords in the same order and only change the tempo. The same happens between “Anime Anthem & Epic J-Rock” and “K-Pop Acoustic Ballad”.