Chord progressions
Common chord progressions
A handful of chord progressions carry a huge share of popular music. Each page spells one out in every key, lets you hear it, and has you play it chord by chord on the keyboard.
Major keys
- I–V–vi–IVthe pop progressionThe four chords behind countless pop songs.In C major: C – G – Am – F
- I–IV–Vthe three-chord progressionThree chords that carry rock and roll, blues and folk.In C major: C – F – G
- ii–V–Ithe jazz progressionThe backbone of jazz, played with seventh chords.In C major: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
- I–vi–IV–Vthe 50s progressionThe 50s doo-wop loop.In C major: C – Am – F – G
- vi–IV–I–Vthe minor-feel pop progressionThe pop loop started on its minor chord.In C major: Am – F – C – G
- 12-bar bluesI7–IV7–V7 over twelve barsTwelve bars of I7, IV7 and V7: blues and rock and roll.In C major: C7 – F7 – G7
Minor keys
How to read roman numerals
Roman numerals name a chord by the scale note it is built on, so a progression works in any key. Upper case (I, IV, V) is a major chord, lower case (ii, iii, vi) a minor one, and a 7 adds the seventh. In C major, I is C, IV is F, V is G and vi is A minor; in G major the same numerals give G, C, D and E minor.