The progression (or cycle) of 5ths:

We have looked at cadences (the punctuation marks of music) in grade 5 and also in this section, and considered the use of passing chords to facilitate smooth chord transitions. You should also understand the important common progression known as the cadential six-four. All of this will impress upon you the significance of the V-Iand the strong relationship between these chords (a 5th or 4th apart). We can extend this principle further in the progression of 5ths, a sequence of chords moving in 4ths and 5ths in step motion.

You may see the principle by examining the bass line. The sequence moves up a 4th, then down a 5th, (this interval from F to B is actually a diminished 5th) up a 4th, down a 5th and so on. The progression here ends with a perfect cadence. There are endless variations of this and there is no signicance in where the strong-weak beat arrangement falls. 7ths can also be added to the sequence.

Below is a similar progression in the minor key.

Scale Movement
It is useful practise to write out chords up and down in diatonic step movement (scales) as it is not unusual for melody to progress in step-wise fashion for more than 2 or 3 notes. Below we have written an example in D major. You may experiment as much as you like in different keys with alternative harmonizations. You can also reduce the amount of chords by treating some notes as passing notes (or auxillary)

Now try writing out a descending scale (in D major) using the examples below:

I iii IV I iib Ic V I: I V vi Ib iib Ic V I: vi III IV I iib Ic V I: