Pachelbel's Canon Chord Progression (I V vi iii IV I IV V)

The Pachelbel's Canon progression is the chord progression I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V. In the key of C major it is C G Am Em F C F G, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1 5 6m 3m 4 1 4 5.

Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E

Why it works

The famous bass line walks down C-B-A-G-F-E-F-G when played with inversions, while the roots alternate down a fourth, up a second. The first four chords are the Romanesca family. The pattern is so stable that it has turned up in pop songs for decades, often only the first half of it.

How to use it

This very long one was a famous canon composed by Johann Pachelbel. It was similar to another harmonic formula known as Romanesca. If you have an interest in exploring classical this is a great place to start.

Songs that use it

These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.

Pachelbel's Canon 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.

Key of C major

C   G   Am   Em   F   C   F   G

C

G

Am

Em

F

Key of G major

G   D   Em   Bm   C   G   C   D

G

D

Em

Bm

C

Key of D major

D   A   Bm   F#m   G   D   G   A

D

A

Bm

F#m

G

Key of A major

A   E   F#m   C#m   D   A   D   E

A

E

F#m

C#m

D

Key of E major

E   B   C#m   G#m   A   E   A   B

E

B

C#m

G#m

A

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