Dream Pop & Indie Soul Chord Progressions

Soft, hazy and a little unreal: these progressions swap plain major and minor chords for maj7, add9 and sus chords, and slide shapes in and out of the key.

Play them in C major — or pick another key

Dreamy mediants in C major

Two major 7th chords a major third apart — soft, glowing and slightly unreal. 4 bars, then it loops.

90 BPM
Four beats per bar · speed trainer goes up to 140 BPM
Press play — or hit the space bar.

Solo on the fretboard

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Chord tones C major Key note

Press play — or tap a chord above — to see its notes light up. Open the scale in the fretboard tool

Pick a progression

6 dream pop & indie soul progressions

  1. Dreamy mediants

    Imaj7 (2 bars) – ♭VImaj7 (2 bars)

    Two major 7th chords a major third apart — soft, glowing and slightly unreal.

    In C: Cmaj7 – A♭maj7

    In G: Gmaj7 – E♭maj7In D: Dmaj7 – B♭maj7

  2. Floating sus

    Vsus4 – IVmaj7 – Iadd9 (2 bars)

    A sus4 dominant that never resolves to V, drifting down to an open add9 — it floats instead of landing.

    In C: Gsus4 – Fmaj7 – Cadd9

    In G: Dsus4 – Cmaj7 – Gadd9In D: Asus4 – Gmaj7 – Dadd9

  3. Bittersweet haze

    IVmaj7 – iv6 – iii7 – vi9

    IV turns minor, then the loop sinks to a minor 9th — warm but sad, an 80s soul move.

    In C: Fmaj7 – Fm6 – Em7 – Am9

    In G: Cmaj7 – Cm6 – Bm7 – Em9In D: Gmaj7 – Gm6 – F♯m7 – Bm9

  4. Parallel maj7 glide

    Imaj7 – ♭IIImaj7 – IVmaj7 – ♭IIImaj7

    The same major 7th shape slid along the neck — chords from outside the key that still sound smooth.

    In C: Cmaj7 – E♭maj7 – Fmaj7 – E♭maj7

    In G: Gmaj7 – B♭maj7 – Cmaj7 – B♭maj7In D: Dmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Gmaj7 – Fmaj7

  5. 80s soft-rock soul

    ii9 – V13 – Imaj7 – vi9

    Rich 9ths and 13ths moving round the circle of fifths — the polished sound of 80s soul and soft rock.

    In C: Dm9 – G13 – Cmaj7 – Am9

    In G: Am9 – D13 – Gmaj7 – Em9In D: Em9 – A13 – Dmaj7 – Bm9

  6. Hazy anthem

    Iadd9 – V – vi7 – IVmaj7

    The pop anthem with open add9 and 7th colours — big but soft, for washed-out guitars.

    In C: Cadd9 – G – Am7 – Fmaj7

    In G: Gadd9 – D – Em7 – Cmaj7In D: Dadd9 – A – Bm7 – Gmaj7

Why they work

Sus and add9 chords leave out or blur the 3rd that tells your ear major from minor, so the music hovers instead of landing. A sus4 dominant that moves to IV instead of resolving keeps that floating feeling going.

Sliding one chord shape along the neck — a major 7th moved up a minor third, or two major 7ths a third apart — brings in notes from outside the key while the voicing stays smooth, which gives indie soul its warm, slightly surreal colour.

See them on the circle of fifths · Chord charts · Metronome

More chord progressions