Sad chord progressions

Progressions built around minor chords, or around the minor iv chord borrowed into a major key. Whether a progression sounds sad also depends on tempo and rhythm; these are the chord shapes people reach for.

The progressions

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–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–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–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.

vi–IV–I–V in every key

KeyviIVIV
C majorAmFCG
G majorEmCGD
D majorBmGDA
A majorF♯mDAE
E majorC♯mAEB
B majorG♯mEBF♯
F♯ majorD♯mBF♯C♯
D♭ majorB♭mG♭D♭A♭
A♭ majorFmD♭A♭E♭
E♭ majorCmA♭E♭B♭
B♭ majorGmE♭B♭F
F majorDmB♭FC

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

Questions

What makes a chord progression sad?

Minor chords carry most of it: a progression that starts on vi, sits in a minor key, or borrows the minor iv into a major key. Slow tempos and sustained chords add to it.

Which sad chord progressions are on this page?

vi–IV–I–V, i–VI–III–VII, i–iv–v, I–iii–IV–iv, IVmaj7–V7–iii7–vi (the royal road), i–iv–i–V and i–iv–VII–III–VI–iiø7–V7–i (the minor circle).

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.