5 Levels Of The 1-5-6-4 (Piano Lesson)

Summary by Krater

David Bennett demonstrates five progressively advanced ways to play the ubiquitous 1-5-6-4 pop chord progression on piano, starting from root position and adding voice leading, inversion, consistent root notes, passing chords, and complex left-hand harmony.

From the video

Answers: How can I make the 1-5-6-4 chord progression sound more advanced on the piano?

• 1-5-6-4 chord progression
• Piano root position chords
• Voice leading on piano
• Piano chord inversions
• Passing chords in piano harmony
• Suspended chords (sus4 and sus2)
• Diminished chords in pop progressions

What it concludes

• Varying how chords are played through voice leading and inversions adds depth and smoothness to the 1-5-6-4 progression.
• Keeping a consistent root note across chords adds an anchor that makes transitions easier and sounds smoother.
• Passing chords, such as sus4 or diminished chords, create temporary tension and expectation that resolve into the next chord.