Chord and FretChoro · ciclo de dominantes (diatônico) — Electric guitar
What is the Choro · ciclo de dominantes (diatônico) progression?
The Choro · ciclo de dominantes (diatônico) progression is AmAmAmAm → DmDmDmDm → G → C (vi – ii – V – I), in the key of C. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → subdominant → dominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Play any song you love and it does this: leaves home, takes a walk, and at the right moment somebody yells "come back!". This progression is that route, road sign by road sign: Am (vi, home) → Dm (ii, the stroll) → G (V, time to come back) → C (I, home). Hit play and follow with your finger on the names — when you reach the chord marked "time to come back", notice your own body waiting for C — the home chord.
Electric guitar
The amplified tone holds each chord for a long time, so a few well-chosen notes keep ringing on their own while you leave room for the rest of the group. The electric guitar is not the traditional voice of samba or choro, but it fits MPB and modern arrangements well, adding smooth chords and quiet fills beside the core rhythm instruments. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on C and rings 2 open strings.
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 · try it 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 4 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 · open in Chord and Fret
When you're ready to go from reading to playing, the Chord and Fret app puts all of this interactive in your hand — grab it on Google Play.