I v Chord Progression
In the key of C major the I-v progression is C Gm. In the Nashville Number System it is written 1 5m.
Chords from outside the key of C major: Gm.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
Mixolydian's minor v. The Bb removes the leading tone, so I-v is a relaxed, modal shuttle instead of the pull of I-V.
How to use it
We usually see the I and V together, but some songwriters have taken advantage of the I-v dissonance. In some cases the simple I-v is used as a jam, but most cases it is used sparingly on top of the more popular progressions.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire and Rain | James Taylor | verse | C Gm F C (charted A Em D A) | C major |
| Love Shack | The B-52's | verse | C Gm7 | C Mixolydian |
| Hey Bulldog | The Beatles | verse | B7 F#m | B Mixolydian |
| Hourglass | Squeeze | verse | C7 Gm7 | C Mixolydian |
| Cream | Prince | chorus | Bb7 Fm7 | Bb Mixolydian |
| Demon Days | Gorillaz | pre-chorus | A Em | A Mixolydian |
I v 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
- Quadruple plagal: Ab Eb Bb F C
- I-IV-bVII-IV: C F Bb F
- Mario cadence: Ab Bb C
- bVII-V7 cadence: Bb G7
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-v progression in each key?
In C major: C Gm. In G major: G Dm. In D major: D Am. In A major: A Em. In E major: E Bm.
Which songs use the I-v progression?
Songs that use it include Fire and Rain by James Taylor, Love Shack by The B-52's, Hey Bulldog by The Beatles.
