Chord & FretForró · I-IV-V simples — Ukulele
What is the Forró · I-IV-V simples progression?
The Forró · I-IV-V simples progression is A → D → E (I – IV – V), in the key of A. 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: A (I, home) → D (IV, the stroll) → E (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 A — the home chord.
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 A 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 · use 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 A. 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 · try it in Chord & Fret
This chord has a whole family that didn't fit the page. All of it is in the Chord & Fret app, pocket-sized, on the stores.