Chord and FretChoro · ii-V-I — Cavaquinho
What is the Choro · ii-V-I progression?
The Choro · ii-V-I progression is DmDmDmDm → G → C (ii – V – I), in the key of C. Read as harmonic function it moves subdominant → dominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Four chords, a whole story: Dm (ii, the stroll) → G (V, time to come back) → C (I, home). Hit play. First pass, just listen. Second pass, follow with your finger on the names — and notice that by the second-to-last chord, your body already knows C — home — is coming.
Cavaquinho
Its chords sound tight and punchy; instead of holding long shapes, it keeps the beat moving with short, repeated strums. This is the cavaquinho's true home: in samba, choro and pagode it is the rhythmic and harmonic center, driving the groove with bright, percussive chords. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on E and rings 1 open string.
Cadences — Harmony comes to rest here — hear every cadence type and train your ear · see it in Chord and Fret
Save this progression in Chord and FretReharmonize — Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize the progression in a tap · open in Chord and Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of C. In Chord and Fret, you open every position of all 3 chords in this progression along the neck — on any instrument, and hear each one. Open in Chord and Fret →
Metronome — Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · try it in Chord and Fret
If you want to keep exploring, the Chord and Fret app picks up right here, with every chord and scale variation one tap away. On Google Play.