Chord & FretRock · blues frame — Cavaquinho
What is the Rock · blues frame progression?
The Rock · blues frame progression is E → A → B (I – IV – V), in the key of E. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → subdominant → dominant, 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: E (I, home) → A (IV, the stroll) → B (V, time to come back). 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 E — the home chord.
Cavaquinho
Its chords sound tight and punchy; instead of holding long shapes, it keeps the beat moving with short, repeated strums. In pop, rock or blues the cavaquinho is an unusual guest; it adds a bright, chopping rhythm layer, but it can't cover the low end a band expects. Its home chord E 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 · try it in Chord & Fret
Save this progression in Chord & FretReharmonize — Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize the progression in a tap · open in Chord & Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of E. In Chord & 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 & Fret →
Metronome — Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · see it in Chord & Fret
Want to change keys without redoing any of this? In the Chord & Fret app you drag and the whole neck rewrites itself — it's on the app stores.