Guitar Chord Progressions

Master guitar chord progressions with audio examples, chord diagrams, and an interactive jam tracks tool

This guide covers everything you need to know about guitar chord progressions: what they are, how the Nashville Number System works, and all 164 common progressions across pop, rock, minor keys, modal vamps, blues, jazz, soul and classical music. Every progression has its own page with chords and audio in the keys of C, G, D, A and E, plus the songs that use it.

You'll also find an interactive chord progression generator to build and hear your own sequences, plus tips on borrowed chords, modulation and secondary dominants to make your songs stand out.

Chord Progression Generator - Interactive Tool

The Chord Progression Generator With Guitar Fretboard is a free, browser-based tool that lets you build custom chord progressions of up to 24 chords, hear them played back with realistic strumming, and see every chord tone on the fretboard in real time. It works on any device (Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile) with no installation or sign-up required.

Key features:

Time signatures and tempo: choose from 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, and 7/8, each with its own strum pattern and drum groove. Adjust BPM from 30 to 300.
Wide chord library: from basic major, minor, diminished, and suspended voicings to extended 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th chords.
Preset progressions: start from classics like I-V-vi-IV (pop), vi-IV-I-V (bittersweet) or ii-V-I (jazz) and customize from there.
Visual fretboard: during playback, the current chord tones are highlighted with filled markers while the next chord is previewed with half-transparent outlines, helping you practice improvisation and voice leading.
Note names or scale degrees: switch display modes to suit your learning style.
Built-in microphone: real-time note detection so you can play along and check your pitch.
Multiple tunings: standard, Drop D, Open G, and more, plus bass guitar layouts and a left-handed fretboard option.
Save and load: store your complete progressions (chords, BPM, time signature, tuning, and drum settings) directly in the browser.

What Is A Chord Progression

Quick answer: A guitar chord progression is a sequence of chords played in a chosen key that creates the harmonic foundation of a song. Most popular music is built on a small set of recurring patterns: I-IV-V (rock and pop), I-V-vi-IV (the Axis of Awesome pop progression), ii-V-I (jazz) and the 12-bar blues. Learn just these four and you can play thousands of songs.

chord progression chart graph On your music journey so far you have moved from pitches to scales, to intervals, to making chords, and now we come to the next step in your guitar practice routine: chord progressions.

There are certain sequences of chords that just happen to sound very pleasing to our ears.

Most popular music across many genres relies on specific chord progressions to set the mood of a song.

Chord progressions are like drum beats and bass lines: they cannot be copyrighted and are used by everyone. It is the melody, the specific note and rhythmic choices, that belongs to a particular musician.

The better you get to know the popular progressions, the easier it will be to recognize them in every song you listen to.

Drill Down: many of these progressions are also in the ebook 52 Chord Progressions - Learn How To Connect Chords and Create Great Songs.

Some progressions are used so often that by learning just one pattern you can play hundreds of songs.

Many guitarists focus on learning scales, which is great, but you shouldn't neglect chord progressions. First, let's learn how to read chord progression charts.

Some Words About Strumming Chords

When starting out with chord progressions, don't stress about perfect strumming patterns. Focus on a steady rhythm and smooth changes between chords, and your style will evolve as you practice.

Drill Down: learn 10 strumming patterns to practice daily.

A Useful Tool for Chord Sequences: the Nashville Number System

There are many charts available for quick reference on each major and minor key. Some charts don't use Roman numerals at all, relying instead on the Nashville Number System.

This system was invented in the late 1950s and was frequently used by Elvis Presley's backup singers, The Jordanaires.

The idea is simple: you replace the Roman numerals with standard Arabic numbers. The symbols also change to indicate whether a chord is major, minor, or diminished.

The Nashville number system is widely used in real-life musical situations.

For example, when a musician tells the band it's a 1-4-5 song in the key of C, everyone knows the chords are C-F-G.

Key	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
C	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	Bdim

If the band leader says it's a 1-5-6-4 in the key of G, we know to play G-D-Em-C.

Key	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
G	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F#dim

Now, certain chords happen to sound great when played in specific orders. Just as the note C and its fifth G sound good played one after another, so do the chords C major and G major.

Many folk and simple pop tunes use nothing more than the first and fifth chords of the key. Add the fourth and we get the very popular I-IV-V, which in the key of C is C-F-G.

Those three simple chords open up thousands of songs in pop, rock, punk and gospel: a huge amount of music is built on the 1-4-5!

The blues then extends the 1-4-5 to 1-4-1-5-1 or something similar, often adding sevenths. If we reverse the 1-4-5 to 5-4-1, we get many popular classic rock tunes.

After I, IV and V, which chord would also sound pleasant to add? The answer is the vi, the relative minor. In the key of C, that is Am. Once we add Am to the other three chords, we unlock a variety of popular chord progressions:

I-V-vi-IV is the progression behind countless hit songs.
I-vi-IV-V is the sound of 50s doo-wop.
vi-IV-I-V starts on the minor chord, for sensitive or sad tunes.

Pick any key you like and try each of these. You may already recognize some songs as you play through them.

All 164 Common Chord Progressions

Our ears keep coming back to the same harmonic patterns over and over, and knowing them is the biggest shortcut when you figure out the chords of a song by ear.

Below you'll find every progression, grouped by style. Each block starts with the best known ones, with audio in the key of C. Open any progression to see it in the keys of C, G, D, A and E, with chord diagrams, audio and the songs that use it.

One of the best bands to study chord progressions with is The Beatles. They mastered the basic progressions, then used their creativity to modulate, borrow and substitute chords, crafting truly incredible songs.

While there is certainly experimental music that tries to break all the rules, in general you want to work with what audiences respond to.

Pop and Diatonic Loops

These progressions use only the chords of the major key, so they sound natural and familiar. They are the foundation of pop, rock, folk and country.

Three Chord Progression

I IV V (1 4 5) (C F G)

The 1-4-5 is the most common progression of all. Knowing it lets you jam with any band, as long as you know the key. You will hear it in "Twist and Shout" and "Blitzkrieg Bop". Many rock and blues songs add a seventh to the V chord, and there are a ton of substitutions that can make it sound unique to each genre.

Four Chord Progression

I V vi IV (1 5 6 4) (C G Am F)

Also called the Axis progression, after the comedy band that famously played dozens of hit songs over this same sequence. It is behind the verses of "Let It Be", "Don't Stop Believin'" and "With or Without You".

50s or Doo-Wop Progression

I vi IV V (1 6 4 5) (C Am F G)

This is the sound of 50s doo-wop, from "Earth Angel" to "Monster Mash". Once you can play one song from that era, you can play many of them.

vi-IV-I-V Progression

vi IV I V (6 4 1 5) (Am F C G)

Often called the sensitive female progression, this is the same loop as the four chord progression, started on the minor chord. It is the backbone of many sad and bittersweet songs, like "One of Us" by Joan Osborne.

V-IV-I Turnaround

V IV I (5 4 1) (G F C)

This is the 1-4-5 in reverse, and it is great for anything with a driving groove, from rockabilly to 60s rock. It comes from bars 9 to 11 of the twelve-bar blues, and you can hear it in "Bad Moon Rising".

I-iii-IV-V Progression

I iii IV V (1 3 4 5) (C Em F G)

The iii chord gives the climb to the V a bigger, more dramatic feel. Try it with "Crocodile Rock" and "Take My Breath Away".

I V Progression

I V (1 5) (C G)

Folk tunes can be very simple, sometimes nothing more than the root and fifth chords repeated over and over, as in "Alouette" and "Tom Dooley". A seventh is often added to the V chord for extra color.

All pop and diatonic loops:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
I-IV	I-IV	C F
I-V	I-V	C G
Three-chord progression	I-IV-V	C F G
50s progression	I-vi-IV-V	C Am F G
Axis progression	I-V-vi-IV	C G Am F
Komuro progression	vi-IV-V-I	Am F G C
IV-I-V-vi	IV-I-V-vi	F C G Am
I-IV-vi-V	I-IV-vi-V	C F Am G
I-iii-IV-V	I-iii-IV-V	C Em F G
I-vi-iii-V	I-vi-iii-V	C Am Em G
ii-iii-V-vi	ii-iii-V-vi	Dm Em G Am
I-ii-iii-V	I-ii-iii-V	C Dm Em G
Royal Road progression	IV-V-iii-vi	F G Em Am
I-ii-iii-IV	I-ii-iii-IV	C Dm Em F
Descending bass line	I-V6-vi-I64	C G/B Am C/G
I-iii	I-iii	C Em
I-ii-IV	I-ii-IV	C Dm F
I-vi-IV-ii	I-vi-IV-ii	C Am F Dm
Singer-songwriter progression	vi-IV-I-V	Am F C G
Hopscotch progression	IV-V-vi-I	F G Am C
Rotated doo-wop	IV-V-I-vi	F G C Am
I-V-ii	I-V-ii	C G Dm
Wild Thing loop	I-IV-V-IV	C F G F
Louie Louie progression	I-IV-v-IV	C F Gm F
I-V-IV-V	I-V-IV-V	C G F G
V-IV-I turnaround	V-IV-I	G F C
vi-IV-I	vi-IV-I	Am F C
IV-V-vi	IV-V-vi	F G Am
I-iii-vi-IV	I-iii-vi-IV	C Em Am F
vi-iii-IV-I	vi-iii-IV-I	Am Em F C
Romanesca (major-key form)	I-V-vi-iii	C G Am Em
ii-IV-V climb	ii-IV-V	Dm F G
I-vi	I-vi	C Am
vi-IV	vi-IV	Am F
Stepwise descent to I	IV-iii-ii-I	F Em Dm C
I-V-ii-IV	I-V-ii-IV	C G Dm F
vi-V-I	vi-V-I	Am G C
vi-I-V-IV	vi-I-V-IV	Am C G F
I-vi-V-IV	I-vi-V-IV	C Am G F

Rock, Mixolydian and Borrowed Chords

Rock often steps outside the major scale with borrowed chords like bVII and bIII. They replace the pull of the V chord with an open, swaggering sound.

I-bVII-IV Progression

I bVII IV (1 b7 4) (C Bb F)

This is the classic Mixolydian rock loop, heard in "Werewolves of London" and "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac.

I-II-IV-I Progression

I II IV I (1 2 4 1) (C D F C)

You will recognize this from "Eight Days a Week". The second chord here is major, not minor. For a long time the II major chord was usually followed by the V, and moving to the IV instead creates a completely different resolution.

Creep Chord Progression

I III IV iv (1 3 4 4m) (C E F Fm)

Named after the Radiohead song, this progression combines a major III with the bittersweet slide from IV to iv.

All rock, mixolydian and borrowed chords:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
I-bVII-IV	I-bVII-IV	C Bb F
I-II-IV-I	I-II-IV-I	C D F C
I-V-bVII-IV	I-V-bVII-IV	C G Bb F
I-bIII-bVII-IV	I-bIII-bVII-IV	C Eb Bb F
I-i	I-i	C Cm
I-III-vi-IV	I-III-vi-IV	C E Am F
Subtonic shuttle	I-bVII	C Bb
I-IV-iv	I-IV-iv	C F Fm
I-II-ii	I-II-ii	C D Dm
I-v-ii	I-v-ii	C Gm Dm
Creep progression	I-III-IV-iv	C E F Fm
I-bIII-IV	I-bIII-IV	C Eb F
I-bIII-IV-bVI	I-bIII-IV-bVI	C Eb F Ab
I-v	I-v	C Gm
Quadruple plagal	bVI-bIII-bVII-IV-I	Ab Eb Bb F C
I-IV-bVII-IV	I-IV-bVII-IV	C F Bb F
Mario cadence	bVI-bVII-I	Ab Bb C
bVII-V7 cadence	bVII-V7	Bb G7
I-v-bVII-IV	I-v-bVII-IV	C Gm Bb F
Lydian shuttle	I-II	C D
Puff schema with major III	I-III7-IV	C E7 F
Minor plagal cadence	iv-I	Fm C
Chromatic mediant I-bIII	I-bIII	C Eb
Chromatic mediant I-III	I-III	C E
Major line cliche	I-Imaj7-I7-IV	C Cmaj7 C7 F
bIII-V7 cadence	bIII-V7-I	Eb G7 C
Mixolydian I-v-IV	I-v-IV	C Gm F

Minor Key Progressions

These progressions start from a minor tonic, so they have a darker mood. Many of them use bVI and bVII, the chords of natural minor.

Andalusian Cadence

i bVII bVI V (1m b7 b6 5) (Cm Bb Ab G)

If you want a Spanish flamenco flavor on guitar, give this one a try. In the key of A minor the chords are Am-G-F-E. You can hear it in "Hit the Road Jack".

i-bVI-bVII Progression

i bVI bVII (1m b6 b7) (Cm Ab Bb)

Two major chords climb back to the minor tonic: this is the sound of rock anthems and heavy riffs, as in "Eye of the Tiger" and "Running Up That Hill".

House of the Rising Sun Chord Progression

i bIII IV bVI (1m b3 4 b6) (Cm Eb F Ab)

The major IV among minor chords gives it a haunting color. It is the opening of the famous version by The Animals.

All minor key progressions:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
Andalusian cadence	i-bVII-bVI-V	Cm Bb Ab G
i-iv-v	i-iv-v	Cm Fm Gm
i-bIII-iv-v	i-bIII-iv-v	Cm Eb Fm Gm
i-bVII-v-bVI	i-bVII-v-bVI	Cm Bb Gm Ab
i-bIII-bVI-V	i-bIII-bVI-V	Cm Eb Ab G
i-bVI-bVII	i-bVI-bVII	Cm Ab Bb
i-bVII-bIII-bVI	i-bVII-bIII-bVI	Cm Bb Eb Ab
i-bVI shuttle	i-bVI	Cm Ab
Minor i-iv-V	i-iv-V	Cm Fm G
Minor i-iv-i-V shuttle	i-iv-i-V	Cm Fm Cm G
Minor i-bVI-V	i-bVI-V	Cm Ab G
Minor i-bIII-bVII-bVI	i-bIII-bVII-bVI	Cm Eb Bb Ab
Aeolian shuttle	i-bVII-bVI-bVII	Cm Bb Ab Bb
Minor i-bVII-iv	i-bVII-iv	Cm Bb Fm
Minor circle-of-fifths loop	i-iv-bVII-bIII	Cm Fm Bb Eb
Minor i-iv-bVI-V	i-iv-bVI-V	Cm Fm Ab G
Minor i-iv-bIII-bVI	i-iv-bIII-bVI	Cm Fm Eb Ab
Minor i-bIII-bVII-iv	i-bIII-bVII-iv	Cm Eb Bb Fm
Minor i-v-iv	i-v-iv	Cm Gm Fm
Minor i-v-bVI-bVII	i-v-bVI-bVII	Cm Gm Ab Bb
Subtonic shuttle (minor)	i-bVII	Cm Bb
Minor i-iv vamp	i-iv	Cm Fm
Minor tonic-dominant vamp	i-V	Cm G
House of the Rising Sun progression	i-bIII-IV-bVI	Cm Eb F Ab
Hotel California progression	i-V-bVII-IV-bVI-bIII-iv-V	Cm G Bb F Ab Eb Fm G
Minor line cliche	i-i/7-i7/b7-i6/6	Cm Cm/B Cm7/Bb Cm6/A
Chromatic lament bass	i-V/7-i/b7-IV/6-bVI-V	Cm G/B Cm/Bb F/A Ab G
Picardy third ending	i-iv-V-I	Cm Fm G C
Minor circle of fifths	i-iv-bVII-bIII-bVI-iim7b5-V-i	Cm Fm Bb Eb Ab Dm7b5 G Cm
Minor i-iv-bVII	i-iv-bVII	Cm Fm Bb
Minor i-bIII-bVI-bVII	i-bIII-bVI-bVII	Cm Eb Ab Bb
Minor i-bVI-iv-V	i-bVI-iv-V	Cm Ab Fm G

A vamp repeats two or three chords to set a mood, and modal progressions are perfect for it: the chords stay put and the mode does the work.

Dorian Shuttle

i IV (1m 4) (Cm F)

The major IV over a minor tonic is the sound of the Dorian mode. Santana built "Oye Como Va" and "Evil Ways" on it.

Phrygian Vamp

i bII (1m b2) (Cm Db)

The half step from i to bII gives this vamp its dark, tense feel, as in "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake.

All modal vamps:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
Dorian shuttle	i-IV	Cm F
Dorian i-bVII-IV	i-bVII-IV	Cm Bb F
Minor i-bIII-IV	i-bIII-IV	Cm Eb F
Dorian i-bIII-bVII-IV	i-bIII-bVII-IV	Cm Eb Bb F
Dorian i-ii vamp	i7-ii7	Cm7 Dm7
Phrygian vamp	i-bII	Cm Db
Phrygian i-bII-bIII	i-bII-bIII	Cm Db Eb
Phrygian dominant vamp	I-bII	C Db
So What shift	i7-bii7	Cm7 Dbm7

Blues Forms

Blues progressions can vary, but they always revolve around the first, fourth and fifth chords. Most blues songs use seventh chords, so you will want to mix those in. The number 7 beside a chord denotes a dominant chord, a major chord with a minor seventh added.

12-Bar Blues

I I I I / IV IV I I / V IV I I (C C C C / F F C C / G F C C)

The best known of all blues forms: 12 bars of music, divided into 3 sections of 4 bars each. You can hear it in "Hound Dog" and "Pride and Joy".

I-IV-I-V-I Progression

I IV I V I (1 4 1 5 1) (C F C G C)

The blues extends the 1-4-5 by going back to the tonic before moving to the V. In the key of E it is E-A-E-B-E.

12-Bar Minor Blues

i7 i7 i7 i7 / iv7 iv7 i7 i7 / bVI7 V7 i7 V7 (Cm7 Fm7 Ab7 G7)

The same 12 bars in a minor key, as in "The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King.

All blues forms:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
I-IV-I-V-I	I-IV-I-V-I	C F C G C
12-bar blues, slow change	I I I I / IV IV I I / V IV I I	C C C C / F F C C / G F C C
12-bar blues, quick change	I7 IV7 I7 I7 / IV7 IV7 I7 I7 / V7 IV7 I7 V7	C7 F7 C7 C7 / F7 F7 C7 C7 / G7 F7 C7 G7
Jazz blues	I7 IV7 I7 I7 / IV7 #ivdim7 I7 VI7 / ii7 V7 I7 V7	C7 F7 C7 C7 / F7 F#dim7 C7 A7 / Dm7 G7 C7 G7
12-bar minor blues	i7 i7 i7 i7 / iv7 iv7 i7 i7 / bVI7 V7 i7 V7	Cm7 Cm7 Cm7 Cm7 / Fm7 Fm7 Cm7 Cm7 / Ab7 G7 Cm7 G7
Bird blues	Imaj7 viim7b5 III7 / vi7 II7 / v7 I7 / IV7 iv7 bVII7 / iii7 VI7 / biii7 bVI7 / ii7 V7 / I VI7 ii7 V7	Cmaj7 Bm7b5 E7 / Am7 D7 / Gm7 C7 / F7 Fm7 Bb7 / Em7 A7 / Ebm7 Ab7 / Dm7 G7 / C A7 Dm7 G7
8-bar blues	I V IV IV / I V I V	C G F F / C G C G
16-bar blues	I I I I / I I I I / IV IV I I / V IV I I	C C C C / C C C C / F F C C / G F C C
8-bar blues, Worried Life form	I / I / IV / IV / I / V / I IV / I V	C / C / F / F / C / G / C F / C G
16-bar blues, Watermelon Man form	I I I I / IV IV I I / V IV V IV / V IV I I	C C C C / F F C C / G F G F / G F C C
Bebop blues	I7 / IV7 / I7 / v7 I7 / IV7 / #ivdim7 / I7 / iii7 VI7 / ii7 / V7 / I7 VI7 / ii7 V7	C7 / F7 / C7 / Gm7 C7 / F7 / F#dim7 / C7 / Em7 A7 / Dm7 / G7 / C7 A7 / Dm7 G7

Jazz Progressions and Turnarounds

Jazz builds on root movement by fifths, seventh chords and substitutions. See also my guide to jazz chord progressions.

ii-V-I Progression

ii V I (2m 5 1) (Dm G C)

Also known as the 2-5-1, this is a staple of jazz that also works in pop, as in "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight". You might find this ii-V-I play-along backing track useful for practice.

Circle Progression

I vi ii V (1 6m 2m 5) (C Am Dm G)

The classic jazz turnaround, used in songs like "Beyond the Sea" and the chorus of Nilsson's "Without You". Jazz players add sevenths to each chord.

Ascending Augmented

I I+ I6 I7 (C Caug C6 C7)

One note climbs by half steps while the other notes stay in place, as in Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All". The "+" means the fifth is raised by a half step, creating an augmented chord. C6 is a major chord with an added major sixth.

Ragtime Progression

I VI7 II7 V7 (1 6(7) 2(7) 5(7)) (C A7 D7 G7)

If you are looking for something truly distinctive, try some ragtime chord patterns. You never know what inspiration they might spark.

All jazz progressions and turnarounds:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
ii-V-I	ii-V-I	Dm G C
Circle progression	I-vi-ii-V	C Am Dm G
Backdoor progression	iv7-bVII7-I	Fm7 Bb7 C
I-#Idim-ii-V	I-#Idim-ii-V	C C#dim Dm G
Ascending augmented	I-Iaug-I6-I7	C Caug C6 C7
Ragtime progression	I-VI7-II7-V7	C A7 D7 G7
I-IV-II-V	I-IV-II-V	C F D G
Montgomery-Ward bridge	I-IV-ii-V	C F Dm G
iii-vi-ii-V	iii-vi-ii-V	Em Am Dm G
I-VI-ii-V	I-VI-ii-V	C A Dm G
ii-V vamp	ii7-V7	Dm7 G7
Minor ii-V-i	iim7b5-V7-i	Dm7b5 G7 Cm
Diatonic circle of fifths	I-IV-viidim-iii-vi-ii-V-I	C F Bdim Em Am Dm G C
iii-VI-ii-V turnaround	iii-VI7-ii-V7	Em A7 Dm G7
Sears Roebuck bridge	III7-VI7-II7-V7	E7 A7 D7 G7
Tritone substitution cadence	ii7-bII7-Imaj7	Dm7 Db7 Cmaj7
Tadd Dameron turnaround	Imaj7-bIII7-bVI7-bII7	Cmaj7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7
Take the A Train changes	Imaj7-II7-ii7-V7	Cmaj7 D7 Dm7 G7
Girl from Ipanema changes	Imaj7-II7-ii7-bII7	Cmaj7 D7 Dm7 Db7
Diminished passing chain	Imaj7-#Idim7-ii7-#IIdim7-iii7-VI7	Cmaj7 C#dim7 Dm7 D#dim7 Em7 A7
Sharp four diminished	IV-#ivdim7-I/5	F F#dim7 C/G
Autumn Leaves changes	iv7-bVII7-bIIImaj7-bVImaj7-iim7b5-V7-i	Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dm7b5 G7 Cm
Coltrane changes	Imaj7-bIII7-bVImaj7-VII7-IIImaj7-V7-Imaj7	Cmaj7 Eb7 Abmaj7 B7 Emaj7 G7 Cmaj7
Chromatic descending ii-Vs	vi7-II7-bvi7-bII7-Imaj7	Am7 D7 Abm7 Db7 Cmaj7
Rhythm changes A section	I vi / ii V / I vi / ii V / I I7 / IV iv / I V / I	C Am / Dm G / C Am / Dm G / C C7 / F Fm / C G / C
Descending ii-V-Is	Imaj7-i7-IV7-bVIImaj7-bvii7-bIII7-bVImaj7	Cmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7

Soul, Gospel, R&B and Funk

Here the groove matters as much as the chords: dominant sevenths and short vamps leave plenty of room for funky rhythm guitar.

I7-IV7 Vamp

I7 IV7 (1(7) 4(7)) (C7 F7)

Two dominant chords are enough for a whole song, as "Feelin' Alright" shows.

Just the Two of Us Chord Progression

IVmaj7 III7 vi7 v7 I7 (Fmaj7 E7 Am7 Gm7 C7)

Named after the song by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers, this smooth loop moves through chords from outside the key.

All soul, gospel, r&b and funk:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
Just the Two of Us progression	IVmaj7-III7-vi7-v7-I7	Fmaj7 E7 Am7 Gm7 C7
7-3-6 progression	viim7b5-III7-vi	Bm7b5 E7 Am
I-iii-IV walk-up	I-iii-IV	C Em F
I-I7-IV-iv minor plagal	I-I7-IV-iv	C C7 F Fm
I7-IV7 vamp	I7-IV7	C7 F7
One-chord funk vamp	I7	C7

Cadences and Classical Patterns

Cadences are the short chord moves that end a musical phrase, and these old patterns are still heard in pop songs today.

La Folia

i V i bVII bIII bVII i V (Cm G Cm Bb Eb Bb Cm G)

La Folia is one of the oldest progressions in Western music. It has a distinctly medieval, almost fantasy-like quality: if you were playing in a castle for royalty, this would be the progression to reach for. Even after hundreds of years, our ears still love this sound.

Pachelbel's Canon Chord Progression

I V vi iii IV I IV V (C G Am Em F C F G)

The ground bass of the Canon in D keeps coming back in modern songs, like "Memories" by Maroon 5.

Authentic Cadence

V I (5 1) (G C)

The strongest ending in tonal music: the V resolves to the tonic. "Happy Birthday" ends this way.

All cadences and classical patterns:

Progression	Numerals	Chords in C
La Folia	i-V-i-bVII-bIII-bVII-i-V	Cm G Cm Bb Eb Bb Cm G
Pachelbel's Canon progression	I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V	C G Am Em F C F G
Authentic cadence	V-I	G C
Plagal cadence	IV-I	F C
Deceptive cadence	V-vi	G Am
Phrygian half cadence	iv/b6-V	Fm/Ab G
Cadential six-four	ii-I/5-V-I	Dm C/G G C
Romanesca	bIII-bVII-i-V-bIII-bVII-i-V-i	Eb Bb Cm G Eb Bb Cm G Cm
Neapolitan sixth	i-bII/4-V-i	Cm Db/F G Cm
Neapolitan in major	I-bII-V-I	C Db G C
German sixth approach	bVI7-V7-i	Ab7 G7 Cm
Omnibus progression	V7-bVII7/b6-ii/6-bVII7-V7/7-I	G7 Bb7/Ab Dm/A Bb7 G7/B C
Stomp progression	IV7 #ivdim7 / I7/5 I7 / IV7 #ivdim7 / I7/5 I7 / IV7 #ivdim7 / I7/5 VI7 / II7 / V7 I7	F7 F#dim7 / C7/G C7 / F7 F#dim7 / C7/G C7 / F7 F#dim7 / C7/G A7 / D7 / G7 C7
Half cadence	IV-V	F G

Read Also: Uncommon Chord Progressions

We've also interviewed 11 guitar experts and asked them about their favorite unusual chord progressions. The result is a great list of unconventional chord progressions you can use in your songs. Check it out!

Key takeaways

1-4-5 and 1-5-6-4 are the two most-used progressions in Western popular music.
The Nashville Number System lets you transpose any progression to any key on the fly.
This page lists 164 progressions (pop, rock, minor, modal, blues, jazz, soul and classical), each with its own page of chords, audio and songs.
The embedded Chord Progression Generator plays your progressions on a visual fretboard with strumming, drums and multiple tunings.
Expand your songs with borrowed chords, modulation and secondary dominants.
Works in standard tuning, Drop D, Open G, bass guitar and a left-handed fretboard.

How To Expand Chord Progressions

Of course, not every song follows a progression exactly as written. Chords can be substituted with 7ths, 9ths, 13ths, min7, maj7, sus2, and sus4 voicings, among many others (see this list of different chord structures for reference).

When playing a common chord progression, it's the small changes that can make your song sound unique and stand out.

Along with substituting chords, you can change keys , subtly or dramatically, depending on the sound you're after.

Use Borrowed Chords

A borrowed chord is a chord taken from a parallel key without changing the tonic or overall key of the song.

Borrowed chords often involve a flattened 3rd and flattened 7th (b3 and b7).

In the key of C, for example, the most common borrowed chords are Eb and Bb, which stay close to the natural 3rd and 7th degrees. This technique is especially popular in rock: try the I-bVII-IV and the I-bIII-bVII-IV.

Alternatively, you can skip borrowing altogether and simply change the key of your song at some point, this is known as modulation.

Modulate to Other Keys

There are several ways to modulate. You can move chromatically, such as shifting from the key of C to C#.

There's also common-tone modulation: both the key of C and G contain the note D, so you can use that shared note as a pivot when moving from C to G.

Parallel modulation means moving from C major to C minor, keeping the same tonal center but changing the mode.

Finally, there's phrase (or abrupt) modulation, where you simply change the key after a phrase ends. Generally, it's best to keep to a somewhat related key when doing this.

You can even combine different types of modulation in what's called a chain modulation.

Add Secondary Dominants

Another way to enrich your chord progressions is by adding secondary dominants.

The first chord of the key is the tonic, and the fifth is called the dominant. To find the secondary dominant, count up a fifth from the dominant or use the Circle of Fifths.

G is the dominant of the key of C
D is the dominant of the key of G

Therefore, D is the secondary dominant of the key of C. Secondary dominants are often played as seventh chords or higher extensions (9ths, 11ths, 13ths).

The reason they're typically sevenths is that the purpose of the secondary dominant is to create tension that resolves into the next chord.

For example, instead of going straight to the G in the key of C, we can put the secondary dominant D7 before it. The ragtime progression (C-A7-D7-G7) is built entirely on this idea. Secondary dominants open up many new possibilities for your progressions.

You Can Even Use Extended Dominants

An extended dominant takes this concept further by resolving down a fifth to another dominant seventh chord. In notation, it's written as V/V/V.

The extended dominant of C is A7.

There's even a quaternary dominant (V/V/V/V), in the key of C, that would be E7.

You probably won't use borrowed chords that far removed from the key very often, but it's a great exercise for testing your music theory knowledge.

Another interesting approach is modal chord progression, which builds progressions from the chords of each mode.

Guitar Chord Progressions FAQ

Quick answers to the most common questions about guitar chord progressions, the patterns they follow and how to write your own.

What is a guitar chord progression?

A guitar chord progression is a sequence of chords played in a chosen key that creates the harmonic backbone of a song. Most popular music is built on a handful of recurring patterns such as I-IV-V, I-V-vi-IV and ii-V-I. Progressions cannot be copyrighted, so the same sequence can power thousands of different songs.

What are the most common guitar chord progressions?

The most common guitar chord progressions are 1-4-5 (rock and pop), 1-5-6-4 (the Axis of Awesome pop progression), 1-6-4-5 (doo wop), 6-4-1-5 (sensitive or sad progression), ii-V-I (jazz) and the 12-bar blues. Together these patterns appear in thousands of well-known songs.

How many guitar chord progressions are there?

There is no fixed number, because any chord can follow any other, but a fairly small set of patterns covers most songs. This page lists 164 progressions, grouped by style: pop, rock, minor, modal vamps, blues, jazz, soul and funk, and cadences and classical patterns. Each one has its own page with chords and audio in the keys of C, G, D, A and E, plus the songs that use it.

What does I-V-vi-IV mean on guitar?

I-V-vi-IV is the Roman numeral name for a four-chord progression built on the 1st, 5th, 6th and 4th degrees of a major key. In the key of C major it becomes C-G-Am-F. In the key of G it becomes G-D-Em-C. It is sometimes called the Axis of Awesome progression because so many pop hits use it.

What is the Nashville Number System?

The Nashville Number System replaces Roman numerals with Arabic numbers so chord progressions can be transposed to any key on the fly. A 1-4-5 in C means C-F-G; the same 1-4-5 in G means G-C-D. Symbols next to the numbers indicate whether each chord is major, minor or diminished.

How do I write my own chord progression on guitar?

Pick a key, list its seven diatonic chords, then start from a proven pattern like I-V-vi-IV or ii-V-I. Swap chord qualities with 7ths, 9ths, sus2 or sus4 voicings, borrow chords from the parallel key, and insert secondary dominants to add tension. The interactive Chord Progression Generator on this page lets you build and hear progressions instantly.

What is the difference between I-V-vi-IV and vi-IV-I-V?

Both progressions contain the same four chords but start in different places. I-V-vi-IV starts on the tonic and feels bright and uplifting. vi-IV-I-V starts on the relative minor and gives a sadder, more reflective mood. It is often called the sensitive female progression for that reason.

Can I use the chord progression generator on mobile?

Yes. The Chord Progression Generator is browser-based and runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android without installation or sign-up. It supports standard tuning, Drop D, Open G, bass guitar layouts and a left-handed fretboard option.

Do I need to know music theory to use chord progressions?

No. You can start by copying a popular pattern like 1-4-5 or 1-5-6-4 and playing it in any key. Music theory only becomes useful once you want to substitute chords, modulate to other keys, borrow chords from a parallel mode or add secondary dominants for extra color.

Chord Progressions - More Resources and Conclusions

Practice these progressions and use your ears to identify which songs they remind you of.

When writing your own music, don't be afraid to substitute chords and experiment.

Once you start modulating, altering chord qualities, and changing keys, you'll be amazed at the music you can create.

Now that you understand the fundamentals of chord progressions on guitar, you have the foundation to learn and write countless songs.

There are of course more progressions beyond these 164, but most are simply variations or slight modifications of the ones above.

To stay updated on new tutorials, subscribe to the free newsletter (you'll also get access to the download area with lots of free printable resources).

Below you'll find more resources to help you deepen your chord progression knowledge:

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher