I III vi IV Chord Progression
In the key of C major the I-III-vi-IV progression is C E Am F. In the Nashville Number System it is written 1 3 6m 4.
Chords from outside the key of C major: E.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The III is a major chord, so its G# is out of key, and it works as V of vi, a secondary dominant. Open Music Theory reads C E Am F as a variation on the singer/songwriter schema, with V/vi replacing V, and keeps the name puff for I-iii-IV and its variants. III to vi gives a brief minor key pull inside a major song.
How to use it
If you take a basic I-V-vi-IV and substitute the V with a major III you can find a whole new sound for rock and pop.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bad Reputation | Shawn Mendes | verse | C E Am F with capo 2, sounding D F# Bm G | D major |
| If We Ever Meet Again | Timbaland feat. Katy Perry | chorus | Ab C Fm Db | Ab major |
| Golden Days | Panic! At the Disco | chorus | G B7 Em C | G major |
| abcdefu | Gayle | verse and chorus | E G# C#m A (I V/vi vi IV) | E major |
| L'Amour Toujours | Gigi D'Agostino | verse and chorus | D F#/A# Bm G/B (I V6/vi vi IV6) | D major |
| Happier Than Ever | Billie Eilish | verse | C E7 Am F (I V7/vi vi IV) | C major |
| Trouble | Cage the Elephant | intro and chorus | C E Am F (I V/vi vi IV) | C major |
I III vi IV Chord Progression: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Subtonic shuttle: C Bb
- I-IV-iv: C F Fm
- I-II-ii: C D Dm
- I-v-ii: C Gm Dm
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the I-III-vi-IV progression in each key?
In C major: C E Am F. In G major: G B Em C. In D major: D F# Bm G. In A major: A C# F#m D. In E major: E G# C#m A.
Which songs use the I-III-vi-IV progression?
Songs that use it include Bad Reputation by Shawn Mendes, If We Ever Meet Again by Timbaland feat. Katy Perry, Golden Days by Panic! At the Disco.
