Chord progressions

A chord progression is a run of chords that repeats under a song. Pick one and a key below and press play; the numerals show each chord's place in the key, so the same progression works in every key.

I–IV–V in C major

  1. IC
  2. IVF
  3. VG

How the numerals work

Build a chord on each note of a major scale and you get seven chords. The Roman numeral is the note the chord stands on: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. Here they are in C major.

  1. ICC
  2. iiDDm
  3. iiiEEm
  4. IVFF
  5. VGG
  6. viAAm
  7. vii°BBdim

Progressions by mood

Chord progressions chart: every key

The same numerals, spelled in all twelve keys, clockwise round the circle of fifths. Find your key in the left column and read across.

I–IV–V
KeyIIVV
C majorCFG
G majorGCD
D majorDGA
A majorADE
E majorEAB
B majorBEF♯
F♯ majorF♯BC♯
D♭ majorD♭G♭A♭
A♭ majorA♭D♭E♭
E♭ majorE♭A♭B♭
B♭ majorB♭E♭F
F majorFB♭C
I–V–vi–IV
KeyIVviIV
C majorCGAmF
G majorGDEmC
D majorDABmG
A majorAEF♯mD
E majorEBC♯mA
B majorBF♯G♯mE
F♯ majorF♯C♯D♯mB
D♭ majorD♭A♭B♭mG♭
A♭ majorA♭E♭FmD♭
E♭ majorE♭B♭CmA♭
B♭ majorB♭FGmE♭
F majorFCDmB♭
i–iv–v
Keyiivv
A minorAmDmEm
E minorEmAmBm
B minorBmEmF♯m
F♯ minorF♯mBmC♯m
C♯ minorC♯mF♯mG♯m
G♯ minorG♯mC♯mD♯m
D♯ minorD♯mG♯mA♯m
B♭ minorB♭mE♭mFm
F minorFmB♭mCm
C minorCmFmGm
G minorGmCmDm
D minorDmGmAm

Every progression

I–IV–V

  1. IC
  2. IVF
  3. VG
  • Three chords in C major: C, F and G.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V, which pulls back toward I.

I–V–vi–IV

  1. IC
  2. VG
  3. viAm
  4. IVF
  • Four chords in C major: C, G, Am and F.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on IV, which leaves it open, ready to go round again.
  • One of its four chords is minor.

vi–IV–I–V

  1. viAm
  2. IVF
  3. IC
  4. VG
  • Four chords in C major: Am, F, C and G.
  • It starts away from home, on vi (Am), reaches I on the 3rd chord, and ends on V, which pulls back toward I.
  • One of its four chords is minor.

I–vi–IV–V (the 50s progression)

  1. IC
  2. viAm
  3. IVF
  4. VG
  • Four chords in C major: C, Am, F and G.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V, which pulls back toward I.
  • One of its four chords is minor.

ii–V–I

  1. ii7Dm7
  2. V7G7
  3. Imaj7Cmaj7
  • Three chords in C major: Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7.
  • It starts away from home, on ii7 (Dm7), reaches Imaj7 on the 3rd chord, and ends on the home chord, a full stop.
  • One of its three chords is minor.

12-bar blues

  1. I7C7
  2. I7C7
  3. I7C7
  4. I7C7
  5. IV7F7
  6. IV7F7
  7. I7C7
  8. I7C7
  9. V7G7
  10. IV7F7
  11. I7C7
  12. V7G7
  • Twelve chords in C major: C7, F7 and G7.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V7, which pulls back toward I.

I–♭VII–IV

  1. IC
  2. ♭VIIB♭
  3. IVF
  • Three chords in C major: C, B♭ and F.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on IV, which leaves it open, ready to go round again.
  • ♭VII (B♭) is borrowed from C minor, the parallel minor key.

i–VI–III–VII

  1. iAm
  2. VIF
  3. IIIC
  4. VIIG
  • Four chords in A minor: Am, F, C and G.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on VII, a step below home, ready to go round again.

i–iv–v

  1. iAm
  2. ivDm
  3. vEm
  • Three chords in A minor: Am, Dm and Em.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on v, which leads back toward i.

i–VII–VI–V (Andalusian cadence)

  1. iAm
  2. VIIG
  3. VIF
  4. VE
  • Four chords in A minor: Am, G, F and E.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on V, which pulls back toward i.
  • V (E) comes from A harmonic minor, which raises the 7th note so the chord leads home.

iiø7–V7–i

  1. iiø7Bm7♭5
  2. V7E7
  3. iAm
  • Three chords in A minor: Bm7♭5, E7 and Am.
  • It starts away from home, on iiø7 (Bm7♭5), reaches i on the 3rd chord, and ends on the home chord, a full stop.
  • V7 (E7) comes from A harmonic minor, which raises the 7th note so the chord leads home.

I–IV–vi–V

  1. IC
  2. IVF
  3. viAm
  4. VG
  • Four chords in C major: C, F, Am and G.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V, which pulls back toward I.
  • One of its four chords is minor.

I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V (the Pachelbel progression)

  1. IC
  2. VG
  3. viAm
  4. iiiEm
  5. IVF
  6. IC
  7. IVF
  8. VG
  • Eight chords in C major: C, G, Am, Em and F.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V, which pulls back toward I.
  • Two of its eight chords are minor.

I–iii–IV–iv

  1. IC
  2. iiiEm
  3. IVF
  4. ivFm
  • Four chords in C major: C, Em, F and Fm.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on iv, which leaves it open, ready to go round again.
  • iv (Fm) is borrowed from C minor, the parallel minor key.
  • Two of its four chords are minor.

IVmaj7–V7–iii7–vi (the royal road)

  1. IVmaj7Fmaj7
  2. V7G7
  3. iii7Em7
  4. viAm
  • Four chords in C major: Fmaj7, G7, Em7 and Am.
  • It never lands on the home chord: it ends on vi.
  • Two of its four chords are minor.

i–VI–VII

  1. iAm
  2. VIF
  3. VIIG
  • Three chords in A minor: Am, F and G.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on VII, a step below home, ready to go round again.

i–iv–i–V

  1. iAm
  2. ivDm
  3. iAm
  4. VE
  • Four chords in A minor: Am, Dm and E.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on V, which pulls back toward i.
  • V (E) comes from A harmonic minor, which raises the 7th note so the chord leads home.

i–iv–VII–III–VI–iiø7–V7–i (the minor circle)

  1. iAm
  2. ivDm
  3. VIIG
  4. IIIC
  5. VIF
  6. iiø7Bm7♭5
  7. V7E7
  8. iAm
  • Eight chords in A minor: Am, Dm, G, C, F, Bm7♭5 and E7.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on the home chord, a full stop.
  • V7 (E7) comes from A harmonic minor, which raises the 7th note so the chord leads home.

Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 (the turnaround)

  1. Imaj7Cmaj7
  2. vi7Am7
  3. ii7Dm7
  4. V7G7
  • Four chords in C major: Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7 and G7.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V7, which pulls back toward I.
  • Two of its four chords are minor.

iii7–vi7–ii7–V7

  1. iii7Em7
  2. vi7Am7
  3. ii7Dm7
  4. V7G7
  • Four chords in C major: Em7, Am7, Dm7 and G7.
  • It never lands on the home chord: it ends on V7, which pulls back toward I.
  • Three of its four chords are minor.

Imaj7–VI7–ii7–V7

  1. Imaj7Cmaj7
  2. VI7A7
  3. ii7Dm7
  4. V7G7
  • Four chords in C major: Cmaj7, A7, Dm7 and G7.
  • It starts on the home chord, I, and ends on V7, which pulls back toward I.
  • VI7 (A7) is a secondary dominant: it leads to ii7 (Dm7), a 5th below.
  • One of its four chords is minor.

i7–VImaj7–iiø7–V7

  1. i7Am7
  2. VImaj7Fmaj7
  3. iiø7Bm7♭5
  4. V7E7
  • Four chords in A minor: Am7, Fmaj7, Bm7♭5 and E7.
  • It starts on the home chord, i, and ends on V7, which pulls back toward i.
  • V7 (E7) comes from A harmonic minor, which raises the 7th note so the chord leads home.

Questions

What is a chord progression?

A series of chords played one after another, usually repeated. Writing it in Roman numerals (I–V–vi–IV) describes it in every key at once: the numeral is the chord's place in the key.

What do the Roman numerals mean?

The number is the note of the scale the chord is built on. Capitals are major chords (I, IV, V), small letters minor (ii, iii, vi), ° diminished, and a 7 adds a fourth note. In C major, I is C, IV is F, V is G and vi is Am.

How do I play a progression in another key?

Keep the numerals and build each chord on that note of the new key's scale. I–IV–V is C, F and G in C major, and G, C and D in G major. The chart on this page does it for all twelve keys.

Why do so many songs share the same progressions?

A handful of chords, I, IV, V and vi, contain every note of the major scale between them, and the move from V back to I is the standard way to end a phrase. Most progressions are arrangements of those few chords.