The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

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Old Johann was able to wring the most out of a very simple chord progression;

in this case nothing more than I-IV-I-IV-I-V-I. Of course, this shows that you

don’t need a complex chord progression to create great music.

Dvorˇák’s New World Symphony

Dvorˇák’s New World Symphonyuses another relatively simple chord progression,

as you can see here:

The chords to Dvorˇák’s New World Symphony.

The chord progression is basically I-V-I, with a neat little ii-V-I imperfect

cadence at the end. There’s also a very unique nonscale twist in the second half

of the third measure, where the I chord (D
) suddenly gets a raised fifth and

goes augmented. (In the orchestral score, the fifth is in the bass in this measure,

for a very dramatic effect.) The use of the augmented tonic sets up an unex-

pected tension, without messing up the harmonic structure by throwing in

something like a IV or a V chord where it wouldn’t really belong.

Pachelbel’s Canon in D

Even more simple is the chord progression behind Pachelbel’s Canon in D, as

you can see here:

The chords to Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

Note how the chords flow, one into the next, based on established chord leading

rules—I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V—and then back to the I, again and again. You can

play this progression all night long and not get tired of it; that’s what makes it

such a classic.