Progression
A progression is a chord sequence with a characteristic movement. Best known is I–V–vi–IV, in C major C–G–Am–F, one of the sequences that carry most of popular music. You remember it in Roman numerals and can transfer it to any key that way.
- Notation
- Roman numerals: capitals = major, lowercase = minor
- Best-known sequence
- I–V–vi–IV
- Four degrees
- I, IV, V and vi carry most songs
- Transposing
- via the scale, the circle of fifths or the capo
- Limit
- secondary dominants, minor subdominants and modulations break the scheme
Four chords, very many songs
The article One pattern predicts the chords of almost any pop song introduces it like this: in a major key the seven degrees give seven chords. Four of them carry most of popular music: the first degree (I), the fourth (IV), the fifth (V) and the sixth (vi). In C major these are C, F, G and A minor. From them four orders can be formed that you hear again and again.
| Sequence | C major | G major | D major |
|---|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV | C – G – Am – F | G – D – Em – C | D – A – Bm – G |
| vi–IV–I–V | Am – F – C – G | Em – C – G – D | Bm – G – D – A |
| I–vi–IV–V | C – Am – F – G | G – Em – C – D | D – Bm – G – A |
| I–IV–V–I | C – F – G – C | G – C – D – G | D – G – A – D |
The best known is I–V–vi–IV. It begins stable, goes to the dominant, drops into the relative minor and returns via the subdominant. Also widespread are vi–IV–I–V, the same chords starting from the sixth degree, I–vi–IV–V, the so-called ’50s progression, and I–IV–V–I as the plainest of all.
Why it works
The article gives three reasons. First, the sequence has a built-in curve of tension: the tonic is rest, the dominant creates a pull back to the tonic, the relative minor brings a clouding over, and the subdominant opens the space without fixing the direction. Played as a circle this gives a movement that never quite arrives and can therefore be repeated as often as you like.
Second, the voice leading is short if you keep the upper voices close together. From C to G the G stays, while C and E each move down one step (to B and D). From G to Am all three voices move up one step, and from Am to F only the E moves (to F), while A and C stay. That is why the sequence also lies comfortably on the guitar: the shapes share fingers, and some notes stay put.
Third, it is independent of the melody. I, IV, V and vi together cover all the notes of the scale, so practically any diatonic melody fits over it. That explains the well-known medleys in which a dozen songs are sung over the same loop: according to the article that is not plagiarism but a property of the system.
Transposing it to any key
You remember the sequence in Roman numerals, not in chord names. I–V–vi–IV is the same sequence in every key, only the names change. To transpose it, you count along the scale of the target key: in G major these are G, D, E minor and C, in D major D, A, B minor and G. The Roman numerals name the degree, not the chord. Capital numerals stand for major, lowercase for minor, so “vi” is always a minor chord.
The article names two quicker ways. Via the circle of fifths: the first, fourth and fifth degrees lie directly next to each other there, the tonic in the middle, the subdominant on the left, the dominant on the right, and the sixth degree sits as the relative minor on the inside below the tonic. And on the guitar with the capo: you learn the sequence once in C and once in G and with these two shapes plus a capo cover all keys. That is why songbooks are so often written in C and G.
The bass makes the difference
According to the article the same four chords sound completely different when the bass does not play the root. C–G/B–Am–F is a descending bass line over the same sequence and sounds more compelling at once. The second listening example shows it. See also root position for the slash notation.
A progression in a song
Voice with chords
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Alle Vögel sind schon da children's song, words by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben · voice with chords · 1 page
The song is in D major, 4/4 time. Above the lines are the chords D, G and A7: the degrees I, IV and V7. The article suggests trying the sixth degree, here B minor, in places where the tonic chord has been used so far.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Roman numerals with chord names: If you remember only C–G–Am–F, you can play the sequence only in C.
- Treating the sequence as a recipe: It explains a large part of song accompaniment but not all of it. Secondary dominants, minor subdominants or modulations break the scheme, and that is where music becomes interesting.
- Wanting to hear everything in major: Many songs are in minor and use the corresponding degrees: i–VI–III–VII is the minor variant of the same movement.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
Diatonic chordChordCadenceTonicDominantSubdominantCircle of fifthsMajorRelative keySecondary dominant
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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