Piano chords · Progressions
Chord progressions
The chord progressions behind thousands of songs, in any key. Hear each one on the piano, build your own and share it, or let the generator surprise you.
Press Play on any progression.
Famous progressions in C major
Four chords behind a huge number of pop songs. Start the loop on any of them and it still works.
The same four chords, starting on the minor one: the same chords, a sadder story.
Doo-wop, early rock and roll and every slow dance at the end of the night.
Home, away, further away, home. Folk, country, blues and rock all start here.
The most important progression in jazz: each root falls a fifth to the next.
Twelve bars, three chords, every one a dominant seventh: the backbone of blues, boogie-woogie and rock and roll.
The eight chords of Pachelbel’s Canon, two beats each. Play the Canon →
Round and back to the start: the classic way to end one chorus and begin the next.
Each root falls a fifth: the circle of fifths, walked home.
Open and hopeful: a favourite under acoustic guitar songs.
The ♭VII chord is borrowed from outside the key: a big, open, classic-rock sound.
The IV turns minor for a moment: bittersweet, borrowed from the minor key.
Lush and yearning: the favourite progression of Japanese pop and anime themes.
Build your own
Tap chords to add them in order (tap one in the list to take it out), then play it on a loop. Each chord is named in the key above; the link to this page remembers your progression, so you can share it.
Chord progression chart
The most common progressions, written out in every key.
Major keys
| Key | I – V – vi – IV | I – IV – V | I – vi – IV – V | ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C – G – Am – F | C – F – G | C – Am – F – G | Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 |
| G major | G – D – Em – C | G – C – D | G – Em – C – D | Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 |
| D major | D – A – Bm – G | D – G – A | D – Bm – G – A | Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7 |
| A major | A – E – F♯m – D | A – D – E | A – F♯m – D – E | Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7 |
| E major | E – B – C♯m – A | E – A – B | E – C♯m – A – B | F♯m7 – B7 – Emaj7 |
| B major | B – F♯ – G♯m – E | B – E – F♯ | B – G♯m – E – F♯ | C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7 |
| F♯ major | F♯ – C♯ – D♯m – B | F♯ – B – C♯ | F♯ – D♯m – B – C♯ | G♯m7 – C♯7 – F♯maj7 |
| D♭ major | D♭ – A♭ – B♭m – G♭ | D♭ – G♭ – A♭ | D♭ – B♭m – G♭ – A♭ | E♭m7 – A♭7 – D♭maj7 |
| A♭ major | A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭ | A♭ – D♭ – E♭ | A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭ | B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7 |
| E♭ major | E♭ – B♭ – Cm – A♭ | E♭ – A♭ – B♭ | E♭ – Cm – A♭ – B♭ | Fm7 – B♭7 – E♭maj7 |
| B♭ major | B♭ – F – Gm – E♭ | B♭ – E♭ – F | B♭ – Gm – E♭ – F | Cm7 – F7 – B♭maj7 |
| F major | F – C – Dm – B♭ | F – B♭ – C | F – Dm – B♭ – C | Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7 |
Minor keys
| Key | i – VI – III – VII | i – iv – V | i – VII – VI – V | iiø7 – V7 – i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A minor | Am – F – C – G | Am – Dm – E | Am – G – F – E | Bm7♭5 – E7 – Am |
| E minor | Em – C – G – D | Em – Am – B | Em – D – C – B | F♯m7♭5 – B7 – Em |
| B minor | Bm – G – D – A | Bm – Em – F♯ | Bm – A – G – F♯ | C♯m7♭5 – F♯7 – Bm |
| F♯ minor | F♯m – D – A – E | F♯m – Bm – C♯ | F♯m – E – D – C♯ | G♯m7♭5 – C♯7 – F♯m |
| C♯ minor | C♯m – A – E – B | C♯m – F♯m – G♯ | C♯m – B – A – G♯ | D♯m7♭5 – G♯7 – C♯m |
| G♯ minor | G♯m – E – B – F♯ | G♯m – C♯m – D♯ | G♯m – F♯ – E – D♯ | A♯m7♭5 – D♯7 – G♯m |
| E♭ minor | E♭m – C♭ – G♭ – D♭ | E♭m – A♭m – B♭ | E♭m – D♭ – C♭ – B♭ | Fm7♭5 – B♭7 – E♭m |
| B♭ minor | B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭ | B♭m – E♭m – F | B♭m – A♭ – G♭ – F | Cm7♭5 – F7 – B♭m |
| F minor | Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭ | Fm – B♭m – C | Fm – E♭ – D♭ – C | Gm7♭5 – C7 – Fm |
| C minor | Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭ | Cm – Fm – G | Cm – B♭ – A♭ – G | Dm7♭5 – G7 – Cm |
| G minor | Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F | Gm – Cm – D | Gm – F – E♭ – D | Am7♭5 – D7 – Gm |
| D minor | Dm – B♭ – F – C | Dm – Gm – A | Dm – C – B♭ – A | Em7♭5 – A7 – Dm |
How chord progressions work
Every key has seven chords, one on each note of its scale (see the chords in every key). Musicians number them with Roman numerals, so a progression can move to any key: I–V–vi–IV is C–G–Am–F in C major and G–D–Em–C in G.
The chords have jobs. I is home: rest. IV (and ii) move away. V is tension: it pulls back to I, because its third is the note just below home. Most progressions are a little journey: away from I, a build-up on V, and home again.
Cadences: how phrases end
- Perfect cadence, V–I: finished, full stop.
- Plagal cadence, IV–I: the "Amen" at the end of a hymn.
- Half cadence, ending on V: a question, waiting for an answer.
- Deceptive cadence, V–vi: you expect home, and get the minor chord instead.
(They play in the key chosen above. In a minor key the deceptive cadence goes V–VI.)
Changing chords, but it doesn't flow? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a chord change that's late. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What is a chord progression?
A chord progression is a series of chords played one after another, usually repeated. Most songs are built on one or two progressions of three to eight chords.
What is the most common chord progression?
I–V–vi–IV (in C: C, G, Am, F) is the most common in modern pop. I–IV–V, the three-chord trick, is the most common in folk, blues and rock.
What do the Roman numerals mean?
They number the chords of a key from its home note: I is the chord on the first note of the scale, V on the fifth. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, ° diminished. Numerals let one progression work in every key.
What are the chords for I–V–vi–IV in C?
C, G, Am and F. In G: G, D, Em and C. In D: D, A, Bm and G.
How do I write my own chord progression?
Start on the home chord (I), move away to IV or vi, build tension with V, and come home. Use the builder on this page: tap chords to hear them in order, and the generator for ideas.
What is a cadence?
The chords at the end of a phrase. A perfect cadence (V–I) sounds finished; a plagal cadence (IV–I) is the "Amen" at the end of hymns; a half cadence ends on V and sounds unfinished; a deceptive cadence goes V–vi instead of home.