Which term describes a succession of chords moving forward in a purposeful fashion?

• A. Blend
• B. Chord progression
• C. Bridge
• D. Cadence

Answer: (B)

Chord progression is the term for a planned sequence of chords that creates direction in the harmony. Each chord in a progression serves a function—tonic gives a sense of home, subdominant moves things forward, and dominant builds tension that resolves back to the tonic. This functional movement makes the harmony feel like it’s progressing toward a goal, which is why the sequence is described as moving forward in a purposeful fashion. A familiar example is a I–IV–V–I progression in a major key, which clearly travels from stability, through a push of tension, to final resolution.

Blend isn’t a music theory term for harmony, and a bridge is a contrasting section between parts of a piece. A cadence is a harmonic punctuation at the end of a phrase, signaling closure, but it doesn’t alone describe the entire forward path of chords—the progression is the ongoing sequence that drives harmony throughout a section or piece.