Lessons · Beginner
Common Chord Progressions and How to Use Them
Ten progressions behind countless songs, how to play them in any key and how to invent your own.
Why learn chord progressions?
A chord progression is a sequence of chords that repeats or moves toward a goal. A surprisingly small number of progressions are behind a huge share of pop, rock, folk, blues and jazz. Once you know them by their Roman numerals instead of by chord names, you can play them in any key, recognize them by ear, and use them as a starting point for your own songs.
Roman numerals describe each chord by its position in the key. In a major key the chords are:
| Numeral | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | B° |
| G major | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F#° |
Uppercase means major, lowercase means minor, ° means diminished. In a natural minor key the pattern is i ii° III iv v VI VII (in A minor: Am B° C Dm Em F G). If this is new, read diatonic harmony first.
The essential major-key progressions
I–IV–V
The foundation of folk, country, rock and roll and blues. Three major chords, all built on the strongest degrees of the scale. In C: C – F – G. In G: G – C – D. Ending on V leaves the music open; adding a final I closes it.
I–V–vi–IV
Probably the most used four-chord loop in modern pop. In C: C – G – Am – F. The vi chord adds a touch of melancholy, and the loop never fully settles because IV leads straight back to I.
vi–IV–I–V
The same four chords as above, started on vi: Am – F – C – G. Starting on the minor chord makes the loop sound more serious, almost as if it were in A minor. This shows an important idea: the order and starting point of a loop change its mood.
I–vi–IV–V
The classic "doo-wop" progression of the 1950s ballads: C – Am – F – G. Each chord shares notes with the next, so it moves very smoothly. A common variant replaces IV with ii: C – Am – Dm – G (I–vi–ii–V), which is already a circle progression.
ii–V–I
The core of jazz harmony: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 in C. The roots move by falling fifths (D to G to C), and the 7ths of each chord resolve down by step into the next. Jazz standards chain ii–V–I progressions through many keys.
I–bVII–IV
A rock favourite that borrows a chord from outside the key: in C, C – Bb – F. The bVII (Bb) comes from C Mixolydian, so the progression sounds bluesy and open rather than strictly "major". In D it is D – C – G, which lies very comfortably on guitar.
Minor-key progressions
i–iv–v
The minor version of I–IV–V: Am – Dm – Em in A minor. With a minor v it sounds modal and soft; replacing Em with E (major V, from harmonic minor) gives a much stronger pull back to Am.
i–VII–VI–V (Andalusian cadence)
A descending bass line, A – G – F – E, under Am – G – F – E. The last chord is major (E, with G#), which creates the typical Spanish, flamenco-like colour. It is often looped, returning to Am each time.
The 12-bar blues
The 12-bar blues is a form, not just a chord loop. In A, with dominant 7th chords:
| Bars 1–4 | Bars 5–8 | Bars 9–12 |
|---|---|---|
| A7 – A7 – A7 – A7 | D7 – D7 – A7 – A7 | E7 – D7 – A7 – E7 |
In numerals: I7 I7 I7 I7 | IV7 IV7 I7 I7 | V7 IV7 I7 V7. The final V7 is the turnaround, sending you back to the top. A common variant is the quick change: play IV7 in bar 2 (A7 – D7 – A7 – A7). For the scales that fit over it, see pentatonic and blues scales.
Circle progressions
A circle progression moves the roots by falling fifths, following the circle of fifths counter-clockwise. Falling fifths are the strongest root motion in tonal music, which is why ii–V–I works so well. Longer chains include:
- vi–ii–V–I: Am – Dm – G – C
- iii–vi–ii–V–I: Em – Am – Dm – G – C
- I–IV–vii°–iii–vi–ii–V–I: the full diatonic circle, C – F – B° – Em – Am – Dm – G – C
In the last example, F to B° is a diminished fifth instead of a perfect fifth, which keeps every chord inside the key.
Progressions on the bass
The bass usually plays the root of each chord on beat 1, so the bass line is the root motion of the progression. In pop and rock, a root–fifth pattern with an approach note into the next chord keeps a loop moving:
I–V–vi–IV in C with a root–fifth bass line
Bass line: root, fifth, octave and approach note
In jazz and blues, the bass walks one note per beat and connects the chords by step or half step. Falling-fifth progressions like ii–V–I are ideal for walking, because each root is a short reach from the last:
Learn to build your own lines in bass lines over progressions and walking bass.
How to transpose a progression
Because Roman numerals are relative to the key, transposing is just a matter of rebuilding the chords on a new scale:
- Write the major scale of the new key (for E major: E F# G# A B C# D#).
- Number the notes 1 to 7.
- Build each chord with the same quality as before: I, IV, V major; ii, iii, vi minor; vii° diminished.
| Progression | C | G | D | A | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V | C F G | G C D | D G A | A D E | E A B |
| I–V–vi–IV | C G Am F | G D Em C | D A Bm G | A E F#m D | E B C#m A |
| ii–V–I | Dm G C | Am D G | Em A D | Bm E A | F#m B E |
Guitarists can also keep the same shapes and use a capo: I–V–vi–IV with G-shape chords (G D Em C) and a capo on fret 2 sounds in A. The transposer does both calculations for you, and the transposition and capo lesson explains the method in detail.
How to make your own progressions
Use these simple rules as a starting point, then trust your ear:
- Start and end on I (or i) if you want a stable, finished sound. Start on vi or IV if you want something more restless.
- V wants to go to I. Place V at the end of a phrase to create tension that the next phrase resolves.
- Chords sharing notes connect smoothly. I shares two notes with iii and with vi; IV shares two notes with ii and with vi. Swapping one for another (I–vi–IV–V instead of I–I–IV–V) is the easiest way to vary a progression.
- Borrow one chord. A single chord from the parallel minor (iv, bVI, bVII) adds instant colour to a major-key song: try C – Am – Fm – C.
- Change the rhythm, not just the chords. Two bars of I and two half-bars of IV and V feel very different from four even bars.
- Use the bass line. A descending bass (C – C/B – Am – Am/G – F) can link chords that would otherwise feel unrelated.
Practice
- Play each progression in this lesson in C, G and D for one minute each, counting four beats per chord. Use the metronome at 70 BPM.
- Loop I–V–vi–IV and vi–IV–I–V in the progression player and describe in one word how each feels.
- Play a full 12-bar blues in A and E, first without, then with the quick change.
- Transpose ii–V–I to all twelve keys around the circle of fifths.
- Write two progressions of your own on the open chords chart or on blank chord boxes, then check which keys they fit with the key finder.
Related lessons: cadences, triads, seventh chords, pentatonic and blues scales and the 12-week theory path. Bass players can practise walking over ii–V–I with the walking bass exercise.