You play (D,F#A) to (A,C#,E) to (G,B,D).Ī song that comes to mind with this progression is the smash hit, “Paper Planes” by MIA. It’s super simple to play, but it’s very effective. This is a very popular progression that has been used for a long time in hip hop & pop. I/V/IV- 3 Chords (D Major to A Major to G Major) If you’re into darker sounding music, this will be perfect. This is a classic progression used in many old school hip hop tracks and it is one of my favorites. You then go down to A and play the major, which is A Major ( A,C#,E).įrom there you play the minor one of the key which is d minor (D,F,A). You walk up 6 notes, and because there’s one flat in d minor (B Flat) you reach the Bflat major chord (Bflat,D,F). This progression is a little more difficult as you start on the major 6 of a minor key. VI/V/i – 3 Chords (BFlat Major to A Major to d minor) This is a progression that works really well between 70 & 120 BPM or beats per minute. The notes are super simple as well being ( C,E,G) and A,C,E). For example, this is the same chord progression that Lizzo used for, “Truth Hurts.” It’s a great progression that is about as simple as it gets. This chord progression is absolutely money in the hip hop world. You can make some great beats with these two chords with a little experimentation. This chord progression is dark and it is a progression that Dr. To create this, you simply take the minor i of a progression and then play the major V.įor example, if we are in a minor, we play a minor( A,C,E) followed by E Major ( E,G#,B). While this is only 2 chords, millions of beats have been made with this simple chord progression. Best Hip Hop/Rap Chord Progressions i/v- 2 Chords (a minor to E Major) If you’re new to beats and looking to get started, check out my guide to the best MIDI Keyboards for beginners or my guide on the best keyboards for hip hop music. Here are what the chords look like if we start on the minor i: If we start with C Major, we know that there are zero sharps or flats, so the chords and their roman numerals are as followed: Learning a few solid chord progressions that work well for hip hop will greatly expand your production game and help give you a much better understanding of music theory.īefore I get into the progressions, I want you to understand what you’re looking at, so let’s do a quick summary of major and minor chords and their roman numerals.

A few years back, songs were a lot happier sounding and the reason for this has to do with the chord progressions. Something about modern music production is that it has been dark lately. The main reason for this is that some beats sound great with minimal chords. One major difference in songwriting in the hip hop world is that you see far less 4 chord chord progression songs. You can try it free for 30 days at the link below.Īside from my own background, I wanted to take a look at some of the chord progressions being used in modern hip hop in order to give you a better understanding of what is working in the world today. I believe it is incredible for teaching students virtually, and quickly. I have been writing songs for the last 10 years myself, and I’ve been a pianist for 20 years with a strong improvisational background.Īre you looking to learn the basics of playing the piano? I recently reviewed an online piano lessons course called Pianote. For this reason, I wanted to breakdown some of the best chord progressions for hip hop. It has been rapidly influencing all genres including country, alternative rock, pop, and even metal. Hip hop is without a doubt the most popular music genre in the world today.

i/iV/i/Vi (eminor to a minor to e minor to C Major).

IV/V/Vi/III 4 Chords (GMajor to A Major to b minor to F# Major).

I/V/IV- 3 Chords (D Major to A Major to G Major).VI/V/i – 3 Chords (BFlat Major to A Major to d minor).

Sad 90s hip hop songs