Music Theory · Chapter 7, Lesson 7.12 — Chord Progressions & Harmony

Analyzing a Song's Chords, Step by Step

Any chord progression, no matter how unfamiliar, can be cracked open with the same five-step method — practice it once and you can apply it to any song.

Intermediate ⏱ 5 min read 🔍 Interactive

The 5-step method

  1. Find the key — from the key signature if you have notation, or from the chord the song keeps resolving back to.
  2. Label each chord with a roman numeral relative to that key.
  3. Mark each chord's function — tonic, subdominant, or dominant.
  4. Find the cadences — the points where the harmony comes to rest or pushes forward.
  5. Flag anything borrowed or chromatic that doesn't belong to the plain diatonic set of the key.
🔍 Worked Example, One Step at a Time Click "Next step" to reveal each stage of the analysis on a real progression.
👆 Click "Next step" to begin the analysis of C – Am – Fm – G – C.
💡 Tip: A borrowed chord doesn't mean a "wrong" chord — it means the songwriter briefly stepped into the parallel key for color, then came right back. Spotting it is the difference between "that chord sounds unusual" and understanding exactly why.

Common questions

What's the first step in analyzing a song's chords?

Find the key — from the key signature, or from the chord the song keeps resolving back to.

What is the full 5-step method for analyzing a progression?

Find the key, label roman numerals, mark each chord's function, find the cadences, then flag anything borrowed or chromatic.

What does it mean for a chord to be "borrowed"?

It comes from the parallel key (major borrowing from minor, or vice versa) instead of the song's main key.

Why bother analyzing a song's chords at all?

It reveals the pattern behind a progression you like, so you can recognize it elsewhere, transpose it, or borrow it for your own writing.

Analyze your favorite songs

Melody Monkey's Songwriting Studio auto-labels roman numerals and function as you build.

Open the backing track player →

Still stuck? Ask Your Personal Music Teacher about Analyzing a Song's Chords, Step by Step →

Keep learning

Chapter 7, Lesson 7.11Common Progressions by Genre Chapter 7, Lesson 7.3Roman Numeral Analysis Chapter 7, Lesson 7.4Chord Function: Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant Chapter 7, Lesson 7.9Cadences