In music, an approach chord (also chromatic approach chord and dominant approach chord) is a chord one half-step higher or lower than the goal, especially in the context of turnarounds and cycle-of-fourths progressions, for example the two bar 50s progression:[1] |G / Em / |Am / D7 / ||may be filled in with approach chords: |G F9 Em A♭m |Am D♯7 D7 G♭7 ||F9 being the half-step to Em, Am being the half-step to Am, D7 being the half-step to D7, and G7 being the half-step to G. G being I, Em being vi, Am being ii, and D7 being V7 (see ii-V-I turnaround and circle progression).
An approach chord may also be the chord immediately preceding the target chord such as the subdominant (FMaj7) preceding the tonic (CMaj7) creating a strong cadence through the contrast of no more than two common tones:[2] FACE – CEGB.
Approach chords may thus be a semitone or a fifth or fourth from their target.[3]
Approach chords create the harmonic space of the modes in jazz rather than secondary dominants.[4]