I ii iii V Chord Progression
In the key of C major the I-ii-iii-V progression is C Dm Em G. In the Nashville Number System it is written 1 2m 3m 5.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
A stepwise diatonic climb that skips IV and jumps to V. The rising bass makes it optimistic and the iii to V leap prepares the return to I.
How to use it
Here we take away our usual IV and add both the minor ii and iii for a very different pop song vibe. Sometimes those two are switched around and a few songs use the IV instead of the V.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heal the World | Michael Jackson | verse | A Bm7 C#m Bm7/E (I ii7 iii V11) | A major |
| Sometime in the Morning | The Monkees | intro and verse | E F#m G#m B (I ii iii V) | E major |
| The Modern Age | The Strokes | chorus | D/F# Em7 F#m A (I6 ii7 iii V) | D major |
| What's New Pussycat? | Tom Jones | intro | D Em/G F#m/A A11 (I ii6 iii6 V11) | D major |
I ii iii 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
- Royal Road progression: F G Em Am
- I-ii-iii-IV: C Dm Em F
- Descending bass line: C G/B Am C/G
- I-iii: C Em
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-ii-iii-V progression in each key?
In C major: C Dm Em G. In G major: G Am Bm D. In D major: D Em F#m A. In A major: A Bm C#m E. In E major: E F#m G#m B.
Which songs use the I-ii-iii-V progression?
Songs that use it include Heal the World by Michael Jackson, Sometime in the Morning by The Monkees, The Modern Age by The Strokes.
