Have you ever sat down to write a song, opened your DAW, and then… nothing? Just staring at chord books or Hook Theory, hoping inspiration strikes?
I’ve been there. For years, I was doing it all wrong – jumping between chord books, software tools, and random progressions, disrupting my creative momentum with endless “research.” Talk about a vibe killer!
Today, I’m sharing a stupid-simple system that transformed how I approach chord progressions. It’s not fancy. It’s not revolutionary. But it works – and it might just be the game-changer you’ve been looking for.
My “Aha” Moment
I had all the right tools. I was just using them wrong.
Here’s the trick that was staring me in the face the whole time: Use chord progression resources to create a list, internalize (not memorize) them over time, and experiment with their order and length. That’s it. Sounds obvious, right? But hear me out…
Why My Old Method Failed Me
I used to dive into production sessions with no real system for chord progressions, and it was killing my creativity. Here’s what would happen:
Inspiration would hit, I’d open my DAW, and as soon as I needed a progression, I’d:
Start digging through Scaler
Flip through chord books
Jump between YouTube tutorials
And end up doom-scrolling “best chord progressions”
The worst part? I did this almost every session. I had all these amazing tools, but instead of using them to build my musical vocabulary, I used them as a creative crutch.
And here’s what stung: I’d learn some great progressions during these “research sessions,” but without a system to retain them, I’d be right back at square one the next time inspiration struck.
My New Approach
Here’s what actually works:
Learn progressions when you’re not trying to write songs
No pressure
No deadlines
Just pure learning time
Make them stick through recall. Test your memory.
Practice recall 1-3 times daily
Play in different keys
Switch up the order
Use variation techniques to get new chord progressions
Change chord lengths
Drop chords for different sections
Add extensions for harmonic color
Invert chords for intensity or melodic bass movement
Add secondary dominants for stronger harmonic movements
Do the Math
Collect 50 progressions…now you can:
Play them in 12 keys
Rearrange the chord order
Change up the rhythm
Drop chords in and out
Invert chords
Add or remove notes from your chords
Add secondary dominants
That’s thousands of options from just 50 basic progressions. And you probably already know more than you think.
Tools I Already Have
Chord books
Hook Theory
Scaler VST
Song charts
I stopped using these as emergency resources and started using them as training tools.
Making It Stick
So each week, I commit to learning a new progression from a song.
Here’s my daily practice routine:
Morning: Quick 10-minute progression recall
Afternoon and evening: Another round of recall
Once I know the progression later in the week, I play it in new keys and apply variation techniques
The key is consistency over complexity. You’re building a vocabulary, not cramming for a test.
Challenge of the week
Choose one progression from a song you love
Spend 10 minutes each morning and evening practicing it
By mid-week, try it in a different key
By the weekend, experiment with one variation technique
Keep it simple. One progression, properly learned, is worth more than ten half-remembered ones. And you don’t need to know every progression. You need a system you trust.
Quote of the week
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Sometimes the best solutions are the ones right in front of us.
Enjoy your week,
Melvin Darrell
