Choro circle-of-fifths progression progression on ukulele
What is the Choro circle-of-fifths progression progression?
The Choro circle-of-fifths progression progression is Am, DmDmDmDm, G and C (vi–ii–V–I), in the key of C major. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → subdominant → dominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Four chords, a whole story: Am (vi, home) → 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.
Ukulele
With only four short strings and no bass note, the ukulele lives in a bright, high register; it sketches the chords and leaves the low end to a voice or another instrument. Brazilian styles are not the ukulele's home turf: it can carry a gentle bossa nova, but the percussive drive of samba, choro and pagode asks for more bite and low-end punch than its soft nylon strings can give. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on C and rings 3 open strings.
Cadences: Harmony comes to rest here: hear cadences on the neck, 9 free and another one each week · try it in Chord and Fret
Save this progression in Chord and FretReharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of C. In the app, every chord in this progression comes with its other shapes and audio, free. Open in Chord and Fret →
Metronome: Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · use it in Chord and Fret