Using BPMN and Chord Wheel Diagram As An Educational Framework For Analysing and Teaching Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Abstract

This paper presents a process-oriented framework for analyzing and teaching harmonic progression using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) in combination with a Chord Wheel Diagram. The approach is applied to Bob Dylan’s *Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door*, a song with a simple and repetitive harmonic structure suitable for process-based modeling. The method interprets chord sequences as structured transitions within a tonal system, where each harmonic step represents a state in a cyclic process. BPMN models the temporal structure, including sequence and repetition, while the chord wheel provides a spatial representation of tonal relationships and functional roles. The results show that harmonic progression can be described as a structured and cyclic process linking harmony and melody. Compared to traditional chord representations, the framework separates temporal, tonal, and structural aspects, improving clarity and interpretability, and offering a cognitively accessible and pedagogically effective approach to teaching harmony.

Keywords: BPMN in music education, Chord Wheel Diagram, harmonic analysis, song-based learning

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008183