Classic I–V–I: The Most Important Chord Progression in Western Music | Chord by Chord Series Ep.1

New here? Start with the free Harmony Study Guide (how to use this series step-by-step): https://drfrommsmusiclab.gumroad.com/... Practice worksheets for this episode: http://drfrommsmusiclab.gumroad.com/l... What’s the most important chord progression in Western tonal music? It’s I–V–I; and it’s everywhere, from classical repertoire to pop and jazz. In this first episode of the Chord by Chord series, we break down how I–V–I works in both C major and C minor, focusing on voice leading rather than memorized rules. You’ll see how the bass and upper voices interact, why the leading tone matters so much, and how small motions like lower neighbors create smooth, convincing harmony. 🎧 Harmonic Dictation (practice the progressions from this video): 🔗 Tonic & Dominant Only (Major):    • Harmonic Dictation #1 – Tonic & Dominant O...   🔗 Tonic & Dominant Only (Minor):    • Harmonic Dictation #2 – Tonic & Dominant O...   🔗 Next Episode in the Chord by Chord Series:    • Melodic Contours over I–V–I | Chord by Cho...   00:00 The most important chord progression in Western music 00:20 Spelling I–V–I in C major 00:45 Bass voice motion 01:02 Upper-voice motion 01:41 Audio examples with different soprano lines 02:42 The role of the leading tone 03:01 i–V–i in C minor 03:31 Lower-neighbor motion in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony 04:05 Lower-neighbor motion in Beethoven’s First Symphony 04:26 Comment with your own examples 04:54 Outro – The Magic Flute Overture