Common chord progressions

These are the progressions that turn up again and again in pop, rock, folk and jazz standards. Each is shown in its home key with the chords on the keyboard; press play to hear it, and use the chart on the main progressions page to move it to any key.

The progressions

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.

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.

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.

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.

I–IV–V in every key

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

More in the chord progression player and chart, and on the minor chord progressions, sad chord progressions and jazz chord progressions pages.

Questions

What makes a chord progression common?

They are built from the chords every major key has, I, IV, V and vi, plus the ii–V–I that jazz and pop share. Learn them once and they work in every key.

Which common chord progressions are on this page?

I–IV–V, I–V–vi–IV, I–vi–IV–V (the 50s progression), ii–V–I, I–IV–vi–V, I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V (the Pachelbel progression) and Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 (the turnaround).

How do I play them in another key?

Keep the Roman numerals and build each chord on that note of the new key's scale. The chart on the main chord progressions page spells each progression in all twelve keys.