Chord Progressions

Theme Example Chart

Theme	Progression (Chords)	Modal Basis	Emotional Function	Notes / Usage Context
Mechanical Claustrophobia	Am → G → F → Dm → E	Phrygian / Aeolian Hybrid	Creates metallic tension and compressed motion.	Common ITW foundation; evokes the feeling of “transcendence constrained.” Works well for bass-driven sections and rhythmic motifs.
Corrupted Euphoria	C → Bb → Ab → G	Mixolydian ♭6	Energetic yet fatigued; joy decaying under repetition.	Used in “drop” or “chorus” sections to simulate ecstatic breakdowns within mechanized rhythm.
Nostalgic Dystopia	F → G → Am → Em	Lydian Minor	Luminous melancholy; nostalgic but unsettled.	Ideal for pads and harmonic layers; gives cinematic Synthwave influence.
Controlled Aggression	Em → F → G#dim → Am	Phrygian Dominant	Sharp, luminous dissonance expressing defiance.	Works for climactic moments or lead hooks; connects Industrial intensity with Trance drive.
Endurance and Renewal	Dm → F → G → Am	Dorian	Subtle optimism amidst decay; sustained tension.	Use for bridge or evolving mid-sections; effective in live automation sequences.
Emotional Gravity	Am → F → C → G	Aeolian	Classic melancholic progression grounding ITW structure.	Foundational for verses or intros; reinforces human pulse within technological form.
Cinematic Reflection	Cm → Ab → Eb → Bb	Aeolian → Lydian Minor	Expansive and atmospheric, evoking introspection.	Effective for breakdowns or outro sections, often paired with heavy reverb/delay recursion.

Genre Example Chart

Genre	Tempo Range (BPM)	Chord Progression	Chord Notes
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Am7 - Em7 - Dm7 - G7	A C E G - E G B D - D F A C - G B D F
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Am7 - G - Fmaj7 - Em7	A C E G - G B D - F A C E - E G B D
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Cmaj9 - A7 - Dm7 - G13	C E G B D - A C# E G - D F A C - G B D E F
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Cm - A♭ - E♭ - B♭	C E♭ G - A♭ C E♭ - E♭ G B♭ - B♭ D F
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Dm9 - G13 - Cmaj7 - A7sus4	D F A C E - G B D E F - C E G B - A D E G
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	E♭maj7 - B♭m7 - A♭maj7 - Fm9	E♭ G B♭ D - B♭ D♭ F A♭ - A♭ C E♭ G - F A♭ C E♭ G
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Fmaj7 - C - Gsus2 - Am7	F A C E - C E G - G A D - A C E G
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Fmaj7 - Cmaj7 - Em7 - Am7	F A C E - C E G B - E G B D - A C E G
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	G - B♭ - E♭ - F	G B D - B♭ D F - E♭ G B♭ - F A C
Chillwave/Vaporwave	60-90	Gm - E♭ - B♭ - F	G B♭ D - E♭ G B♭ - B♭ D F - F A C
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Am - F - Dm - E7	A C E - F A C - D F A - E G# B D
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Am - F - G - E	A C E - F A C - G B D - E G# B
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	C - G - A♭ - E♭	C E G - G B D - A♭ C E♭ - E♭ G B♭
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Cm - A♭ - Fm - G	C E♭ G - A♭ C E♭ - F A♭ C - G B D
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Dm - B♭ - Gm - A	D F A - B♭ D F - G B♭ D - A C# E
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Dm - F - A♭ - G	D F A - F A C - A♭ C E♭ - G B D
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Dm7 - B♭maj7 - Gm9 - A7	D F A C - B♭ D F A - G B♭ D F A - A C# E G
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	E - G - F - A♭	E G# B - G B D - F A C - A♭ C E♭
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Fm - C - G♯ - D♯	F A♭ C - C E G - G♯ C D# - D# G A#
Industrial Synthwave	100-130	Fm7 - C7 - G♯maj7 - D♯9	F A♭ C E♭ - C E G B♭ - G♯ C D# G - D# G A# F
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - Bb - F - E - Dm - G	A C E - Bb D F - F A C - E G# B - D F A - G B D
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - C - E - Dm - F - G	A C E - C E G - E G# B - D F A - F A C - G B D
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - C - F - G - E - D	A C E - C E G - F A C - G B D - E G# B - D F# A
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - E - F - C - Dm - Bb	A C E - E G# B - F A C - C E G - D F A - Bb D F
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - F - C - E - Dm - G	A C E - F A C - C E G - E G# B - D F A - G B D
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - F - Dm - E - C - G	A C E - F A C - D F A - E G# B - C E G - G B D
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - F - Bb - E - G - D	A C E - F A C - Bb D F - E G# B - G B D - D F# A
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - G - F - Bb - E - Dm	A C E - G B D - F A C - Bb D F - E G# B - D F A
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - G - F - Dm - E - Bb	A C E - G B D - F A C - D F A - E G# B - Bb D F
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Am - G - F - E - Dm	A C E - G B D - F A C - E G# B - D F A
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Dm - Bb - F - C - E - Am	D F A - Bb D F - F A C - C E G - E G# B - A C E
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Dm - Bb - F - C - G - E	D F A - Bb D F - F A C - C E G - G B D - E G# B
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Dm - F - A - G - Bb - C	D F A - F A C - A C# E - G B D - Bb D F - C E G
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Em - C - G - B - A - F	E G B - C E G - G B D - B D# F# - A C# E - F A C
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	Em - C - G - D - F - A	E G B - C E G - G B D - D F# A - F A C - A C# E
Industrial Trancewave	120-140	F - C - G - E - Dm - Am	F A C - C E G - G B D - E G# B - D F A - A C E
Synthwave	80-110	Am - E - F - Dm	A C E - E G# B - F A C - D F A
Synthwave	80-110	Am - F - C - G	A C E - F A C - C E G - G B D
Synthwave	80-110	Am - F - Dm - E	A C E - F A C - D F A - E G# B
Synthwave	80-110	Am - G - F - G	A C E - G B D - F A C - G B D
Synthwave	80-110	Am7 - Fmaj7 - Cmaj9 - G7	A C E G - F A C E - C E G B D - G B D F
Synthwave	80-110	Am9 - Fmaj9 - C6 - Gsus4	A C E B - F A C G - C E G A - G C D
Synthwave	80-110	C - Am - F - G	C E G - A C E - F A C - G B D
Synthwave	80-110	C - Em - Am - F	C E G - E G B - A C E - F A C
Synthwave	80-110	C - G - Em - F	C E G - G B D - E G B - F A C
Synthwave	80-110	Cm - A♭ - E♭ - B♭	C E♭ G - A♭ C E♭ - E♭ G B♭ - B♭ D F
Synthwave	80-110	Dm - F - A♭ - C	D F A - F A C - A♭ C E♭ - C E G
Synthwave	80-110	Dm - G - C - Am	D F A - G B D - C E G - A C E
Synthwave	80-110	Em - G - D - A	E G B - G B D - D F# A - A C# E
Synthwave	80-110	F - G - Am - Em	F A C - G B D - A C E - E G B
Synthwave	80-110	Fmaj7 - G - Am7 - Em	F A C E - G B D - A C E G - E G B
Techno	120-135	Am - F - C - E7	A C E - F A C - C E G - E G# B D
Techno	120-135	Am - F - G	A C E - F A C - G B D
Techno	120-135	Am7 - G - F - E7	A C E G - G B D - F A C - E G# B D
Techno	120-135	Bm - A - G - F#m	B D F# - A C# E - G B D - F# A C#
Techno	120-135	Cm - A♭ - G - D♯	C E♭ G - A♭ C E♭ - G B D - D♯ G A#
Techno	120-135	C - Em - Dm - silence	C E G - E G B - D F A - (rest)
Techno	120-135	Dm - A♭ - C - A	D F A - A♭ C E♭ - C E G - A C# E
Techno	120-135	Dm - B♭ - F - C	D F A - B♭ D F - F A C - C E G
Techno	120-135	Dm - F - G - A	D F A - F A C - G B D - A C# E
Techno	120-135	Em - C - D - Bm	E G B - C E G - D F# A - B D F#
Techno	120-135	Em - D - C - Bm	E G B - D F# A - C E G - B D F#
Techno	120-135	Em - G - D - A	E G B - G B D - D F# A - A C# E
Techno	120-135	Fm - C♯ - B♭ - E♭	F A♭ C - C♯ F G# - B♭ D F - E♭ G B♭
Techno	120-135	Fm - G♭ - A♭ - E♭	F A♭ C - G♭ B♭ D♭ - A♭ C E♭ - E♭ G B♭
Techno	120-135	Am - F - G - F - silence	A C E - F A C - G B D - F A C - (rest)
Trance	130-145	Am - C - G - D	A C E - C E G - G B D - D F# A
Trance	130-145	Am - F - C - G	A C E - F A C - C E G - G B D
Trance	130-145	Am - G - F - E	A C E - G B D - F A C - E G# B
Trance	130-145	Bm - A - G - D	B D F# - A C# E - G B D - D F# A
Trance	130-145	Bm - F♯ - G - D	B D F# - F# A C# - G B D - D F# A
Trance	130-145	C - G - Am - F	C E G - G B D - A C E - F A C
Trance	130-145	Cm - G♯ - D♯ - A♭	C E♭ G - G♯ C D# - D# G A# - A♭ C E♭
Trance	130-145	Dm - B♭ - F - C	D F A - B♭ D F - F A C - C E G
Trance	130-145	Em - C - G - D	E G B - C E G - G B D - D F# A
Trance	130-145	Em - D - C - G	E G B - D F# A - C E G - G B D
Trance	130-145	Em - Dsus2 - C - G	E G B - D E A - C E G - G B D
Trance	130-145	Em - G - D - A	E G B - G B D - D F# A - A C# E
Trance	130-145	F - G - Am - G	F A C - G B D - A C E - G B D
Trance	130-145	Fm - D♭ - A♭ - E♭	F A♭ C - D♭ F A♭ - A♭ C E♭ - E♭ G B♭
Trance	130-145	F#m - D - A - E	F# A C# - D F# A - A C# E - E G# B
Trance	130-145	G - D - Em - Bm	G B D - D F# A - E G B - B D F#

Published: 29 Oct 2025

Last updated: 2 Nov 2025

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