Progressions in C — Viola

Every chord the key of C owns, mapped along CGDA by finger and position.

C major harmonises to C – Dm – Em – F – G – Am – B°; C minor to Cm – D° – D# – Fm – Gm – G# – A#. Each chord links to its tone map on the Viola, so a tune in C becomes a short list of places the hand needs to be.

The useful question in a key is which open strings it agrees with. In C, check the chords against the open C and A — a key that leaves an open string ringing under the melody is a key this instrument was built for.