Approach chord

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Type of musical chord

title: "Approach chord" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chords"] description: "Type of musical chord" topic_path: "general/chords" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approach_chord" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Type of musical chord ::

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In music, an approach chord (also chromatic approach chord and dominant approach chord) is a chord one half-step higher or lower than the goal, especially in the context of turnarounds and cycle-of-fourths progressions, for example the two bar 50s progression: |G / Em / |Am / D7 / || may be filled in with approach chords: |G F9 Em A♭m |Am D♯7 D7 G♭7 || F9 being the half-step to Em, Am being the half-step to Am, D7 being the half-step to D7, and G7 being the half-step to G. G being I, Em being vi, Am being ii, and D7 being V7 (see ii-V-I turnaround and circle progression).

An approach chord may also be the chord immediately preceding the target chord such as the subdominant (FMaj7) preceding the tonic (CMaj7) creating a strong cadence through the contrast of no more than two common tones: FACE – CEGB.

Approach chords may thus be a semitone or a fifth or fourth from their target.

Approach chords create the harmonic space of the modes in jazz rather than secondary dominants.

References

References

  1. Boyd, Bill (1997). ''Jazz Chord Progressions'', p.43. {{ISBN. 0-7935-7038-7.
  2. Fisher, Jody (2000). ''Jazz Skills: Filling the Gaps for the Serious Guitarist'', p.30. {{ISBN. 1-929395-10-8.
  3. Sokolow, Fred (2002). ''Jazzing It Up'', p.11. {{ISBN. 0-7935-9112-0.
  4. Felts, Randy (2002). ''Reharmonization Techniques'', p.19. {{ISBN. 0-634-01585-0.
  5. Grove, Dick (1989). ''Arranging Concepts Complete: The Ultimate Arranging Course for Today's Music'', p.139. {{ISBN. 0-88284-484-9.
  6. Pease, Ted (2003). ''Jazz Composition: Theory and Practice'', p.68. {{ISBN. 0-87639-001-7.

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