Montgomery-Ward Bridge (I IV ii V)
The Montgomery-Ward bridge is the chord progression I-IV-ii-V. In the key of C major it is C F Dm G, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1 4 2m 5.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
Jazz players call it the Montgomery-Ward bridge: I moves to IV, then ii-V leads back. IV and ii are both pre-dominants, so they sit naturally side by side before V.
How to use it
Often we see the vi added to the IV and V, but here is another situation where a ii is substituted. As usual this progression will use a variety of 7th chords and every now and then songs switch the IV and 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bad Day | Daniel Powter | chorus | D G Em A with capo 1, sounding Eb Ab Fm Bb | Eb major |
| 12:51 | The Strokes | intro and verse | E A F#m B | E major |
| Good People | Jack Johnson | intro, verse and chorus | B E C#m F# (I IV ii V in both) | B major |
| They Don't Know | Kirsty MacColl | verse | G C Am D with capo 4, sounding B E C#m F# | B major |
| It's All Been Done | Barenaked Ladies | intro and verse | D G Em7 A7sus4 A7 | D major |
Montgomery-Ward Bridge: 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
- iii-vi-ii-V: Em Am Dm G
- I-VI-ii-V: C A Dm G
- ii-V vamp: Dm7 G7
- Minor ii-V-i: Dm7b5 G7 Cm
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 Montgomery-Ward bridge in each key?
In C major: C F Dm G. In G major: G C Am D. In D major: D G Em A. In A major: A D Bm E. In E major: E A F#m B.
Which songs use the Montgomery-Ward bridge?
Songs that use it include Bad Day by Daniel Powter, 12:51 by The Strokes, Good People by Jack Johnson.
