Creep Chord Progression (I III IV iv)
The Creep progression is the chord progression I-III-IV-iv. In the key of C major it is C E F Fm, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1 3 4 4m.
Chords from outside the key of C major: E, Fm.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The Creep progression. III is V of vi but moves deceptively up to IV, the chromatic puff variant in Open Music Theory, and IV to iv adds the minor plagal slide. Two out-of-key colours in four chords, and the chromatic line G#-A-Ab makes it unforgettable.
How to use it
In this chord progression we substitute a major III for the usual minor and we use both the IV major and minor. This one is so popular that the first three song examples are copies of one another.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Air That I Breathe | The Hollies | verse | B D# E Em | B major |
| Creep | Radiohead | verse | G B C Cm | G major |
| Get Free | Lana Del Rey | pre-chorus | Bb D Eb Ebm | Bb major |
| Space Oddity | David Bowie | verse | C E7 F Fm | C major |
| Steven Universe Theme | Rebecca Sugar | verse | G B C Cm | G major |
| My Love Mine All Mine | Mitski | chorus | A C# D Dm | A major |
Creep 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.
Shorter progressions inside it
- Puff schema with major III: C E7 F
More progressions like this one
- I-bIII-IV: C Eb F
- I-bIII-IV-bVI: C Eb F Ab
- I-v: C Gm
- Quadruple plagal: Ab Eb Bb F C
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 Creep progression in each key?
In C major: C E F Fm. In G major: G B C Cm. In D major: D F# G Gm. In A major: A C# D Dm. In E major: E G# A Am.
Which songs use the Creep progression?
Songs that use it include The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies, Creep by Radiohead, Get Free by Lana Del Rey.
