Six Cool Jazzy Chord Progressions + Sheet Music & Harmonic Analysis

In this video, I’m sharing six original chord progressions that fit well in contexts like R&B, soul, and styles influenced by jazz harmony, offering fresh inspiration for songwriters and arrangers. For each progression, you’ll find sheet music with chord symbols and harmonic analysis using Roman numerals. Note that I have already posted these progressions as shorts over the past months. You can find more details in the descriptions of the corresponding shorts. While these progressions are not directly based on any specific existing songs, it’s natural that some changes or sequences may resemble those in other music, given the shared language of harmony. If you use these progressions, please create your own melodies to make your music unique. Video Chapters & Progression List 00:00 - Progression n. 1 in E major: "R&B Vibes: Sub5, Suspended Chords, and a Secondary ii-V-i with Deceptive Ending" 00:39 - Progression n. 2 in E major: "Jazzy with Tonal Ambiguity Between E Major and A Major" 00:58 - Progression n. 3 in G major: "Flavorful Moves with Modal Interchange and an Unusual Cadence (♭II7+ → I7+)" 01:23 - Progression n. 4 in F major: "A Neo-Soul Journey Between F Major and F Minor with a Backdoor Cadence" 02:10 - Progression n. 5 in G major: "Smooth Soul Vibes with Surprising E Major Highlights" 02:32 - Progression n. 6 in C major: "Exploring a Neo-Soul Landscape Made Entirely of Major-Seven Chords" The background music at the end of the video is taken from my track "Sweet Iris", available on all major streaming platforms. Highlights of Each Progression Progression n. 1 A tasty temporary dominant (G♯7♯5b9) leading to the sixth degree (C♯sus → C♯m7) Various suspended chords A tritone substitution for the temporary dominant E7 (Bb7), resolving to the fourth degree (A) At bar 8, a secondary iiø7/vi - V7/vi (ii-V) that deceptively resolves to the major IV instead of vi At bar 12, another deceptive cadence: a ii-V (F♯m9 - B9sus4) that doesn’t resolve to the tonic (E) Excerpt from an unreleased composition titled "Drifting Souls". Progression n. 2 This progression exhibits tonal ambiguity, which is quite natural given its brevity. It can be centered on E major or on its relative C♯ minor (which explicitly appears a couple of times). The middle section suggests A major through a classic ii-V-I (Bm7 - E9 - Amaj7). In some shorts from the past months, I had originally considered the progression as centered on A major. However, the complex F♯/G♯ chord followed by G♯7 quickly shifts the tonal focus back to C♯ minor. That said, as mentioned, I actually consider C♯ minor here as the vi degree of E major rather than the true tonic of the progression, since it always appears with the seventh and never offers a real sense of tonal stability. Progression n. 3 Starts in C major but shifts toward G major. Non-diatonic chords explained by modal interchange: Fmaj7 from G Dorian Ebmaj7 from parallel G minor Abmaj7 acting like a “subV” chord, providing a ii – bII – I feel without dominant tension, also working as a chromatic passing chord. Progression n. 4 Centered on F major with heavy modal interchange from F minor (Abmaj7, Dbmaj7, Cm7, Eb, Eb6/9) and F Dorian (Ebmaj9(13)). At bar 14, the F/A chord melody uses notes from the F minor scale to highlight the parallel key mixture. The final sequence Dbmaj7 - Eb - Fadd9 creates a “Backdoor” cadence effect. Part of an unreleased piece titled “Not Just Imagination”. Progression n. 5 Perhaps the most “pop” sounding of the group, it nevertheless features an interesting peculiarity given by the presence of an E major chord, which is non-diatonic in the key of G major. This chord can be interpreted as: Temporary dominant of A minor (even if without the minor seventh) Chromatic alteration of E minor Borrowed from the parallel major key of G major’s relative minor (E minor) Progression n. 6 An example of a progression made entirely of major-seven chords, achieving variety and richness. The final passage features a ♭II7+ → I7+ sequence reminiscent of a subV-I movement, though the ♭II chord has a major seventh. Conventions: Regarding harmonic analysis, the chord symbols consider only the “core” of the chord - that is, the triad and the possible seventh. For example, a tonic major 9 chord is indicated as I7+ in the harmonic analysis, ignoring the ninth. Stay Connected: Check out my music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/63q1W... Follow me also on TikTok for more music and tutorials:   / haltber   If you enjoy my content and want to support my work, please consider making a donation: https://ko-fi.com/haltber https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/haltber #chordprogression #pianomusic #sheetmusic #pianoplayer #pianotutorial #jazzchords #musictheory #haltber #rnb #neosoul #jazzy