I vi Chord Progression
In the key of C major the I-vi progression is C Am. In the Nashville Number System it is written 1 6m.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
A two-chord sway between the tonic and its relative minor. The chords share two notes, so only one voice moves and the colour shifts from bright to shaded without any tension. It is diatonic to 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Loco-Motion | Little Eva | verse | Eb Cm | Eb major |
| Still Into You | Paramore | verse and pre-chorus | F Dm | F major |
| Oh, Pretty Woman | Roy Orbison | chorus | A F#m | A major |
| We Found Love | Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris | pre-chorus | D#m F# (plays i-bIII) | D# minor |
I vi 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
- vi-IV: Am F
- Stepwise descent to I: F Em Dm C
- I-V-ii-IV: C G Dm F
- vi-V-I: Am G 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 I-vi progression in each key?
In C major: C Am. In G major: G Em. In D major: D Bm. In A major: A F#m. In E major: E C#m.
Which songs use the I-vi progression?
Songs that use it include The Loco-Motion by Little Eva, Still Into You by Paramore, Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison.
