Chromatic Mediant I-III Chord Progression
The Chromatic mediant I-III is the chord progression I-III. In the key of C major it is C E, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1 3.
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 a major third above the tonic, sharing one note with it. Wikipedia points out that it can also be heard as V of vi, so context decides whether it is a colour shift or a secondary dominant. It sounds bright and slightly unexpected, since the raised note lies outside the major scale.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creep | Radiohead | verse | G B | G major |
| Space Oddity | David Bowie | verse | C E7 | C major |
Chromatic Mediant I-III 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
- Major line cliche: C Cmaj7 C7 F
- bIII-V7 cadence: Eb G7 C
- Mixolydian I-v-IV: C Gm F
- I-bVII-IV: C Bb F
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 Chromatic mediant I-III in each key?
In C major: C E. In G major: G B. In D major: D F#. In A major: A C#. In E major: E G#.
Which songs use the Chromatic mediant I-III?
Songs that use it include Creep by Radiohead, Space Oddity by David Bowie.
