Hey music makers!
My wife and I had our first dance at our wedding to "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri. We found a performance on Dancing with the Stars and decided to learn it ourselves. A Vietnamese waltz that became our nightly practice routine leading up to the big day.
We fell in love with that song during those evening dance sessions, but as a harmony nerd, I also fell in love with the progression. What makes this song so emotionally powerful isn't just the melody or lyrics.
It's the foundational harmonic moves that create the perfect backdrop for romance.
Today I want to share that progression with you because it shows how powerful chord order can be as an emotional tool.
📻 REAL SONGS. REAL PROGRESSIONS
💿 "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri
Key: Bb major
Progression: Ebsus2 - Bb/D - Gm7 - F/A - Bb - Ebadd9
Roman numerals: IV - I - vi - V - I - IV
Why it works: At a quick glance you might notice that this progression is derived from the basic I-vi-IV-V progression but it's been reordered and extended to create a completely different emotional journey. Starting on IV (Eb) immediately puts you in motion, then landing on I (Bb) creates resolution. The vi (Gm) adds a bit of introspection before the V-I-IV creates a satisfying cycle.
The magic is in the voicings: The progression begins on an Ebsus2 which opens the sound a bit. You get smooth voice leading with inversions in the Bb/D and F/A, plus extensions like Gm7 and Ebadd9. The bass line moves: Eb → D → G → A → Bb → Eb, addomg some complexity to the chord bass melody and a foundation that supports the emotional arc.
🧠 TERM OF THE WEEK
The Starting Point Framework
Where you begin determines everything.
Research shows that your starting chord acts as an "emotional anchor" that colors all subsequent harmonic movement. Put plainly different starting points activate different emotional paths:
In the key of Bb major
Start on I (Bb): Creates stability and brightness, your brain expects resolution
Start on vi (Gm): Triggers "bittersweet contemplation" and introspection
Start on IV (Eb): Establishes forward motion and anticipation
Jimmy Kachulis from Berklee has a term for this: "recycling harmonic materials." He explains that "altering chord order produces endless fresh moods from familiar chords.”
He teaches that where the sequence begins "acts as emotional orientation for the entire progression."
The same four chords can feel hopeful, melancholy, or mysterious based on this single choice. This is why mastering this concept is so powerful. Since most of us want to write emotional music, we should focus more on learning how to reshape the emotional impact of progressions we already know instead of constantly searching for new progressions.
🎯 CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK
Test the Starting Point Framework:
Take the progression from "A Thousand Years": Ebsus2 - Bb/D - Gm7 - F/A- Bb - Ebadd9
Compare it to the original order: Bb - Gm - Eb - F
Play each version and notice:
Original (I-vi-IV-V): Starts stable, becomes introspective
Perri's version (IV-I-vi-V-I-IV): Starts in motion, finds home, then cycles
Now experiment with your own starting points using the same chords:
Start with Gm: Creates immediate introspection
Start with F: Builds tension right from the beginning
Curious how you're doing with concepts like this? I put together a quick Harmony Fluency Quiz that covers chord order, emotional storytelling, and other key areas we explore here. Takes about 3 minutes, and I'll send your results and insights straight to your inbox to keep for your own records.
Concepts like this are essential for creating emotional chord progressions.
This approach focuses on harmony fundamentals and gives you plenty of options while staying simple to implement. Instead of memorizing dozens of different progressions all at once, you can master this one principle and apply it everywhere.
Lock in this starting point framework, and you'll begin spotting it in progressions you already know, and in everything you learn moving forward.
