Hearmony10 Common Chord Progressions, With Numerals, Chords in C and Songs
The most common chord progressions are I–IV–V, the pop progression I–V–vi–IV, the '50s progression I–vi–IV–V and the jazz ii–V–I. In C major those are C–F–G, C–G–Am–F, C–Am–F–G and Dm–G–C. Add the 12-bar blues, Pachelbel's Canon, the Andalusian cadence and a few minor-key loops, and you have the harmony behind a very large share of Western popular and classical music.
Below are ten progressions in one table, each with its Roman numerals, its chords in C (or A minor), the mood it creates and songs that use it, followed by notes on how each one works and the order to learn them in.
What is a chord progression?
A chord progression is a series of chords played in order, usually repeated, that supports a melody. Musicians write progressions as Roman numerals so they work in every key: the numeral is the scale step the chord is built on, capitals are major chords and lowercase numerals are minor. The Wikipedia page on Roman numeral analysis covers the full system.
| Key | I / i | ii | iii / III | IV / iv | V / v | vi / VI | vii° / VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | B° |
| A minor | Am | B° (ii°) | C | Dm | Em, or E with G♯ | F | G |
C major and A minor share the same seven chords. What changes is which chord feels like home, and that is why the same four chords can sound bright in one song and moody in another.
The 10 most common chord progressions
These ten progressions cover most of what you will meet in pop, rock, folk, blues, jazz and classical music. Songs are listed for the section where the progression is clearest.
| # | Progression | Chords | Mood | Heard in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I–IV–V | C F G | Plain, strong, upbeat | "La Bamba", "Twist and Shout" |
| 2 | I–V–vi–IV | C G Am F | Hopeful, with a minor dip | "Let It Be" (verse), "With or Without You" |
| 3 | I–vi–IV–V | C Am F G | Sweet, nostalgic | "Stand by Me", "Heart and Soul" |
| 4 | vi–IV–I–V | Am F C G | Wistful, searching | "Zombie", "Despacito" |
| 5 | ii–V–I | Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 | Smooth arrival | Jazz standards such as "Autumn Leaves" |
| 6 | I–vi–ii–V | C Am Dm G | A loop that keeps turning | "I Got Rhythm" (A section) |
| 7 | 12-bar blues | C7 F7 G7 | Gritty, driving | "Johnny B. Goode", "Hound Dog" |
| 8 | Pachelbel | C G Am Em F C F G | Stately, a stepping bass | Pachelbel's Canon in D |
| 9 | Andalusian cadence (i–VII–VI–V) | Am G F E | Dramatic, Spanish-flavored | "Hit the Road Jack", "Runaway" (verse) |
| 10 | I–♭VII–IV–I | C B♭ F C | Open, anthemic rock | "Hey Jude" (coda) |
Major-key progressions, one by one
Most major-key progressions are built from the same three pillars: I (home), IV (away) and V (pulling back home). The rest add minor chords or borrowed chords for color.
I–IV–V: the backbone
I–IV–V uses only the three major chords of the key, C, F and G in C major. It is the harmony of countless folk songs, early rock and roll and the blues. "La Bamba" loops I–IV–V and "Twist and Shout" I–IV–V–IV, almost without a break.
I–V–vi–IV and its rotations
The pop progression and its relatives use the same four chords in different orders: I–V–vi–IV (the modern pop loop), I–vi–IV–V (the '50s doo-wop loop) and vi–IV–I–V (the same loop started on the minor chord). They have their own guide, the four-chord pop progression, with the chords in five keys and many more songs.
ii–V–I and the I–vi–ii–V turnaround
ii–V–I moves by falling fifths, D to G to C, and lands with a strong sense of arrival. In jazz it is usually played with seventh chords, Dm7–G7–Cmaj7, and standards like "Autumn Leaves" chain one after another. The full story, including the minor version, is in the guide to the ii–V–I progression.
I–vi–ii–V, C–Am–Dm–G, is the classic turnaround: it ends on V, so it always wants to start again. It forms the A section of George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm", the basis of the jazz "rhythm changes".
Pachelbel's Canon
Pachelbel's progression is I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V: C G Am Em F C F G in C, or D A Bm F♯m G D G A in the original key of D. The bass falls in a steady, almost scale-like line, which gives it its stately feel. The Wikipedia article on Pachelbel's Canon shows the ground bass.
I–♭VII–IV–I: the rock borrowing
I–♭VII–IV–I borrows a chord from outside the key: B♭ is not in C major. The result sounds open and anthemic rather than classical. The long "na na na" coda of "Hey Jude" repeats F–E♭–B♭–F, which is this progression in F.
What are common minor chord progressions?
The most common minor chord progressions are i–iv–v, i–VI–III–VII and the Andalusian cadence i–VII–VI–V. In A minor, those are Am–Dm–Em, Am–F–C–G and Am–G–F–E.
- i–iv–v (Am Dm Em): the minor counterpart of I–IV–V. Swap the minor v for a major V (E, with G♯) and the pull back to Am gets much stronger; that raised note comes from the harmonic minor scale.
- i–VI–III–VII (Am F C G): the same four chords as vi–IV–I–V. If Am feels like home, call it i–VI–III–VII; if C feels like home, call it vi–IV–I–V. Many songs, "Zombie" among them, sit right on that line.
- Andalusian cadence (Am G F E): four chords stepping down, ending on a major E. Its name comes from flamenco, and it drives the verses of "Hit the Road Jack" and Del Shannon's "Runaway". The Wikipedia article on the Andalusian cadence lists more examples.
The 12-bar blues
The 12-bar blues is a fixed 12-bar form built on I, IV and V, usually as dominant seventh chords. In C: C7 for four bars, F7 for two, C7 for two, then G7, F7, C7 and a final G7 (or C7) that turns the form around. "Johnny B. Goode" and "Hound Dog" follow it. Variants such as the quick change (IV in bar 2) are covered in the 12-bar blues guide.
Which chord progressions should you learn first?
Learn I–IV–V first, then the I–V–vi–IV family, then ii–V–I; the others are variations or extensions of those three. A short plan:
- Days 1–2: play C–F–G–C, then G–C–D–G. Hum the bass notes.
- Days 3–4: C–G–Am–F, C–Am–F–G and Am–F–C–G. Notice how the starting chord changes the mood.
- Day 5: Dm7–G7–Cmaj7, then C–Am–Dm–G as a loop.
- Day 6: Am–G–F–E, and one chorus of the 12-bar blues in C.
- Day 7: pick three songs from the table and name the progression by ear before checking.
To tell these progressions apart in real songs, find the home chord, follow the bass and notice which chords are minor. The step-by-step method is in how to hear chord progressions by ear.
Self-test: name each progression. G–C–D · F–Dm–B♭–C · Em–C–G–D · Gm7–C7–Fmaj7 · Dm–C–B♭–A. Answers: I–IV–V in G, I–vi–IV–V in F, vi–IV–I–V in G (or i–VI–III–VII in E minor), ii–V–I in F, Andalusian cadence in D minor.
Practice common progressions in Hearmony
Hearmony's Progression Highway adventure plays progressions on a sampled piano in C, D, F or G and asks you to name them in numerals. Its units start with I–IV–V–I, move on to the pop progression (I–V–vi–IV, with I–vi–IV–V and vi–IV–I–V as it ramps up), cadences, ii–V–I and missing-chord questions where you fill in the gap. Progression Highway is part of Hearmony Pro.
The free Chord Numbers side quest explains why ii, iii and vi are minor and lets you put numbers to chords you hear. For a full listening routine, see the ear training exercises for beginners.