CifraLab

Harmonic Pedagogy • Ear & Emotional Psychology Analysis

Progression: Tokyo City Pop & 80s Groove

Understand the harmonic structure and musical psychology of the Tokyo City Pop & 80s Groove progression (Fmaj7 - Em7 - Dm7 - Cmaj7): in-depth analysis with…

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Written by CifraLab · 6 min read · 5 sections

Curve of Tension and RestHarmonic interval curve oscillating between stable consonance, peak dissonance, and emotional resolution.TONAL REST LINESTABLEΔCLIMAX / TENSIONmMELANCHOLYRESOLUTIONCONSONANCETENSION / CLIMAXRESOLUTION
How tension rises and falls in a progression · CifraLab illustration

1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion

Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics

A velvety major and minor seventh downward step with a Tokyo City Pop and Shibuya-kei air (IVmaj7 - iiim7 - iim7 - Imaj7). It paints midnight highway drives, shimmering neon skylines, and a sophisticated 1980s Japanese groove.

Listen to Tokyo City Pop & 80s Groove twice through

  1. Fmaj7
  2. Em7
  3. Dm7
  4. Cmaj7
  5. Fmaj7
  6. Em7
  7. Dm7
  8. Cmaj7
Close your eyes on the second pass and notice which chord changes the mood the most.

2. The progression, step by step

Harmonic positions in this progression
PositionChordDegree
1Fmaj7IVmaj7
2Em7iiim7
3Dm7iim7
4Cmaj7Imaj7

3. Chord tones and interval structure

Pitches and formulas for the chords above
ChordChord tonesFormula
Fmaj7F – A – C – E1 - 3 - 5 - 7
Em7E – G – B – D1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7
Dm7D – F – A – C1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7
Cmaj7C – E – G – B1 - 3 - 5 - 7

Check it with your ear

Two short questions to solidify what you've just read. There's no grade or record, so if you get it wrong, you can listen again and try again.

Which chord does Tokyo City Pop & 80s Groove start on and settle into?

Listen to both orders. Which one is the progression on this page?

Try it on your guitar

Play , , and with four beats per chord, slowly at first and then close to 114 BPM. Once you can play it without stopping, sing one long note over every chord and hear how its color changes even though you do not move it.

Acoustic Chords:

Fmaj7View Fmaj7 chord fingeringEm7View Em7 chord fingeringDm7View Dm7 chord fingeringCmaj7View Cmaj7 chord fingering

What you can check on the guitar

This reading uses Fmaj7, Em7, Dm7 and Cmaj7, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Tokyo City Pop & 80s Groove” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.

Fmaj7 and Em7 share E, though the hand changes shape. From Em7 to Dm7, D stays, but no fretted position repeats. Dm7 and Cmaj7 share C, though the hand changes shape. From Cmaj7 to Fmaj7, C and E stay, but no fretted position repeats.

“Tokyo City Pop & 80s Groove” runs at 114 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 526 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 8.4 seconds. Read in C major, its degrees are IVmaj7, iiim7, iim7 and Imaj7.

Fmaj7 holds F, A, C and E. In Em7 you hear E, G, B and D. Dm7 holds D, F, A and C. In Cmaj7 you hear C, E, G and B.