Common Chord Progressions
The chord progressions behind most popular music — in Roman numerals, spelled out in C, with where each one shows up. Pop, rock, blues, jazz and minor-key staples.
| Progression | Example in C | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V | C–F–G | The three-chord foundation of rock, blues, country and folk. |
| I–V–vi–IV | C–G–Am–F | The 'four-chord song' — the most common progression in modern pop. |
| vi–IV–I–V | Am–F–C–G | The same four chords from the minor — anthemic and emotional. |
| I–vi–IV–V | C–Am–F–G | 1950s doo-wop, the '50s progression'. |
| ii–V–I | Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 | The cadence at the heart of jazz. |
| I–vi–ii–V | C–Am–Dm–G | A jazz/pop turnaround. |
| I–♭VII–IV | C–B♭–F | Mixolydian rock (the 'Sweet Home Alabama' family). |
| i–iv–v | Am–Dm–Em | Natural-minor blues and folk. |
| i–♭VII–♭VI–V | Am–G–F–E | The Andalusian cadence — flamenco and dramatic minor. |
| i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII | Am–F–C–G | Epic minor-key pop and film loop. |
| 12-♭ar ♭lues | C · C · C · C · F · F · C · C · G · F · C · G | The backbone of blues and early rock and roll. |
| I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V | C–G–Am–Em–F–C–F–G | Pachelbel's Canon in D (shown in C). |
Hear any of these in any key with the chord progression generator. Lower-case = minor, ° = diminished, ♭VII = a chord built on the flattened 7th.