Building chord progressions is an essential skill for any guitarist looking to create captivating and dynamic music.

Building chord progressions is an essential skill for any guitarist looking to create captivating and dynamic music. While traditional chord progressions can sound pleasant and familiar, incorporating chord tension into your progressions can add depth, emotion, and intrigue to your compositions.

Chord tension refers to the dissonance or instability created by adding certain notes to a chord. By introducing tension into your chord progressions, you can create a sense of anticipation and release that can elevate your music to new heights. Understanding how to build chord progressions with chord tension can help you craft more interesting and engaging songs.

One way to incorporate chord tension into your progressions is by adding extended chords or altered chords. Extended chords include notes beyond the basic triad, such as sevenths, ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths. These additional notes can create tension that resolves back to the root chord, adding complexity and colour to your progressions.

To visualise and experiment with different chord tensions, you can use online tools such as a triad visualisation tool. This tool can help you see how adding tension notes alters the overall sound and feel of a chord, allowing you to make informed decisions when building your progressions.

Another way to introduce chord tension is by using non-diatonic chords or borrowed chords from outside the key you are playing in. These chords can create unexpected harmonic shifts that add interest and intrigue to your progressions. By exploring different chord options beyond the standard diatonic chords, you can discover unique and compelling sounds for your music.

To further enhance your understanding of chord tension, it is beneficial to develop your ear training skills. Online ear training tools can help you recognise different chord qualities and tensions by ear, allowing you to intuitively incorporate them into your playing.

Rather than relying solely on the CAGED system, which can limit your creativity, try recognising triads all over the fretboard to expand your chord vocabulary and create more diverse progressions. By exploring different voicings and positions, you can discover new ways to add tension and interest to your music.

Incorporating chord tension into your progressions can take your guitar playing to the next level, allowing you to create music that is expressive, dynamic, and memorable. Experimenting with different chord voicings, tensions, and resolutions can lead to exciting musical discoveries and help you develop your unique sound as a guitarist.



Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, exploring chord tension can open up a world of creative possibilities and help you grow as a musician. By combining your knowledge of chord theory with practical experimentation, you can build chord progressions that resonate with listeners and showcase your musical personality.