Prog rock guitar
Prog rock is rock played like complex music: long compositions, unusual rhythms, rich chords and solos that sing. Below are the chords, scale, techniques, an arpeggio and a solo you can hear and slow down.
1970s70–160 BPMEm–Cmaj7–Am7–B73+3+2
What is prog rock
Progressive rock took shape in England at the turn of the 1960s and 70s. Bands mixed rock with classical and jazz, wrote twenty-minute pieces and changed time signature in the middle of a song.
A prog guitarist switches between intricate arpeggios with seventh chords and long, slow solos with bends and vibrato. The rhythm often breaks: accents land where you do not expect them, even in a normal meter.
Signature chords
Em, Cmaj7, Am7, B7 (i, VImaj7, iv7, V7 in E minor) sound richer than plain triads. Cmaj7 adds a dreamy colour, and B7 with its D# pulls tensely back to Em.
Scale for soloing
E natural minor suits the solos. The solo on this page is played on the first string in long notes, with D# over B7 as the leading note to E.
Techniques
3+3+2 accents
Half a bar is split not into two beats but into groups of three, three and two sixteenths. Bass and kick hit the start of each group, and an even bar starts to limp. Listen to the arpeggio below.
Seventh chords
Prog loves seventh chords: the major seventh in Cmaj7 sounds bright and a little mysterious. Tap Cmaj7 to hear it.
Long lines
Prog solos are often slow: one note rings for a whole bar with vibrato or a bend, and the line moves from note to note. Hold every note to its end, like a voice.
Prog rock arpeggio
Four chord tones are picked in 3+3+2 groups of sixteenths, twice per bar. Bass and drums sit on the start of each group. Start at 60% and count "one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two".
Prog rock solo
A slow melody on the first string: B with vibrato, a climb to E, back down, a slide to C over Am7 and finally D# over B7 and a bend from B. Every note should ring to its end.
Bass part
The bass sits on the same 3+3+2 accents as the kick, but in the second half of the bar it does not repeat the first; it climbs through other chord tones. That is how prog bass holds a tricky rhythm and plays its own melody, like the bassists of Yes and Rush.
The guitar plays the genre’s chords quietly underneath: switch it off with the "Guitar" button to hear the bass alone. Bass guitar exercises in the trainer →
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these tracks and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- Pink Floyd - “Comfortably Numb”. A long, slow solo with wide bends and vibrato: every note sings like a voice.
- Yes - “Roundabout”. An acoustic intro with harmonics and fast arpeggios in a tricky rhythm.
- Rush - “Tom Sawyer”. An instrumental section in an odd meter: you hear the rhythm stumble and find its footing again.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
Does prog have to be in odd meters?
No. Odd meters are common in prog but not required. Unusual accents like 3+3+2 inside a normal 4/4 give a similar effect, as in the examples on this page.
How do I learn to play long solos?
Play slowly and hold every note to its end. Add vibrato to long notes and bends that hit the pitch exactly. Melody matters more than speed.
Which chords should I learn for prog rock?
Start with seventh chords: maj7, m7 and 7. Then add sus2, sus4 and add9 chords. Their sound is what makes prog rich.