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Common Chord Progressions Every Songwriter Should Know
A small set of chord progressions turns up in song after song, across pop, rock, blues, jazz and film music. Learn them as Roman numerals and you can play each one in any key, recognize it when you hear it, and use it as a starting point for your own songs. Each progression below has its chords written out in an example key.
How chord progressions are named
The chords of a key are numbered with Roman numerals for the scale note they're built on. Upper case is a major chord, lower case is minor and ° is diminished. In C major the chords are C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi) and Bdim (vii°).
A minor key's chords are numbered from its own first note: in A minor they are Am (i), Bdim (ii°), C (III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (VI) and G (VII).
Because the numerals describe positions in the key rather than particular chords, a progression keeps its name in every key. To play it in another key, take the chords at the same positions there. The Scale Finder lists the chords of every major and minor key.
Progressions in major keys
- I–V–vi–IV (C–G–Am–F): one of the most widely used progressions in pop music, often called the four-chord progression. Every chord is from the key, and it moves smoothly from the tonic and back to it.
- vi–IV–I–V (Am–F–C–G): the same four chords started from the minor vi chord, which gives it a more wistful sound.
- I–IV–V (C–F–G): the three major chords of the key, and the basis of blues, rock and roll and a great deal of folk and country music.
- I–vi–IV–V (C–Am–F–G): the "50s progression" heard in many doo-wop songs of that decade.
- I–IV–vi–V (C–F–Am–G): a pop progression that leaves the V chord for last, pulling back toward the I.
- ii–V–I (Dm–G–C): the central cadence of jazz. Jazz musicians usually play it with seventh chords: Dm7–G7–Cmaj7.
In G major, the same progressions become G–D–Em–C, Em–C–G–D, G–C–D, G–Em–C–D, G–C–Em–D and Am–D–G.
The 12-bar blues
The 12-bar blues spreads I, IV and V across twelve bars. Its most common form in C is:
- Bars 1–4: C, C, C, C (I)
- Bars 5–6: F, F (IV)
- Bars 7–8: C, C (I)
- Bars 9–12: G (V), F (IV), C (I), G (V)
The last bar's V chord leads back to the start. Blues players often use dominant seventh chords throughout — C7, F7 and G7.
Progressions in minor keys
- i–VI–III–VII (Am–F–C–G): the minor-key version of the four-chord progression, built from the same chords as C major's I–V–vi–IV but starting on Am.
- i–iv–V (Am–Dm–E): a minor key's strongest cadence. The V chord is E major rather than E minor because its third, G♯, is borrowed from the harmonic minor scale; that note leads up to A.
- i–VII–VI–V (Am–G–F–E): the Andalusian cadence, a descending progression associated with flamenco, again ending on a major V.
Some songs use a mode instead of a major or minor key. In Mixolydian, the major key with a lowered seventh note, I–♭VII–IV–I (G–F–C–G in G Mixolydian) is a common rock progression.
How to find a song's chord progression
- Find the song's key — see How to Find the Key of a Song.
- Work out the chords. If you can play a chord but don't know its name, pick its notes in the Chord Finder.
- Write each chord as its Roman numeral in the key. Common patterns, such as I–V–vi–IV, then stand out, and you can play the progression in any key.
Play these progressions in any key
The Chord Progression Generator has every progression on this page except the 12-bar blues ready to play, along with others. Choose one of the 12 keys and a mode — major, minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian or Locrian — then pick a progression from the list. It spells every chord correctly for the key, plays it on piano, and lets you copy the chords.
To write a melody or solo over a progression, start with the scale of its key; Music Scales Explained covers how scales and modes work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common chord progressions?
I–V–vi–IV (C–G–Am–F in C major), its rotation vi–IV–I–V, I–IV–V (C–F–G), the 50s progression I–vi–IV–V (C–Am–F–G) and ii–V–I (Dm–G–C) are among the most widely used. In minor keys, i–VI–III–VII (Am–F–C–G) and i–iv–V (Am–Dm–E) are common.
Why do so many songs use I–V–vi–IV?
All four chords belong to the key, so they always sound consonant together. The progression starts and ends near the tonic, includes a minor chord for contrast, and repeats smoothly — which makes it easy to write a singable melody over.
How do I play a chord progression in a different key?
Write it as Roman numerals, then take the chords at the same positions in the new key. I–V–vi–IV is C–G–Am–F in C major and G–D–Em–C in G major.
Why does a minor key often use a major V chord?
In a natural minor key the v chord is minor. Raising its third — G to G♯ in A minor, borrowed from the harmonic minor scale — makes it major (E instead of Em), and that note leads strongly up to the tonic, so the progression resolves more firmly.
What chords are in the 12-bar blues?
The I, IV and V chords of the key — in C, that's C, F and G, often played as C7, F7 and G7. The most common form is four bars of I, two of IV, two of I, then V, IV, I and V.
How do I find the chord progression of a song?
Find the song's key, work out its chords, then write each chord as a Roman numeral in that key. Familiar patterns such as I–V–vi–IV then become easy to spot.
Do these progressions work on guitar and piano?
Yes. A progression is a sequence of chords, so it works on any instrument. The Chord Finder shows how to play each chord on piano and guitar.