🎼 Music Theory
Best Chord Progressions for House Music (With Examples)
Five chord progressions that power 90% of modern house tracks, with the exact formulas and free MIDI to use today.
House music lives on emotion, and emotion lives in the chords. These five progressions show up in everything from classic deep house to modern tech house. Learn them, then twist them.
1. The 'Soulful Loop': i, VII, VI, VII
Used by Kerri Chandler, MK and almost every Defected release. Dark, hopeful and unstoppable on a long loop. In A minor: Am, G, F, G.
2. The 'Disco Lift': IM7, vi7, ii7, V7
Lush, jazzy, and instantly classy. The 7th extensions are non-negotiable. In C major: Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7, G7.
3. The 'Deep Tension': i, VI, III, VII
A minimal, hypnotic four-chord loop perfect for late-night techy house. In A minor: Am, F, C, G.
4. The 'Andalusian Cadence': i, VII, VI, V
Spanish, dramatic, brilliant for percussive Afro / tribal house. In A minor: Am, G, F, E.
5. The 'Two-Chord Hypnotic': i, VI
Sometimes less is more. A two-chord vamp is the engine of countless tech-house and minimal hits. In A minor: Am, F.
Pro move: keep the bassline on the root of each chord and let the melody outline the 7ths and 9ths. That's where the 'expensive' sound comes from.
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