Royal Road Progression (IV V iii vi)
The Royal Road progression is the chord progression IV-V-iii-vi. In the key of C major it is F G Em Am, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 4 5 3m 6m.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
Royal Road, or Ohdo shinko, a staple of J-pop and anime. IV-V rises by step, then V to iii is a deceptive turn that drops to the relative minor side. iii to vi falls by a fifth, which gives the bittersweet, emotional pull it is known for.
How to use it
In this chord progression we focus on the IV instead of the usual root. It is a great order for lighter pop songs with a nice mix of major and minor chords. And sometimes the iii and vi are switched.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Public Affair | Jessica Simpson | chorus | G A F#m Bm | D major |
| It Will Rain | Bruno Mars | chorus | F G Em Am with capo 2, sounding G A F#m Bm | D major |
| Cruel to Be Kind | Nick Lowe | chorus | F G Em Am (IV V iii vi) | C major |
| Leave the Door Open | Silk Sonic | verse and chorus | Fmaj7 G7/F Em7 Am7 (IV7 V42 iii7 vi7) | C major |
| Titanium | David Guetta feat. Sia | chorus | Ab Bb Gm Cm (VI VII v i in C minor, IV V iii vi in Eb) | Eb major |
| Fortnight | Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone | chorus | E F# D#m G#m (IV V iii vi) | B major |
| Leave the Door Open | Silk Sonic | intro and verse | Fmaj7 G/F Em7 Am7 (plays IVmaj7-V7-iii7-vi7) | C major |
| Titanium | David Guetta and Sia | chorus | F G Em Am7 (plays IVmaj7-V7-iii7-vi7) | Eb major |
Royal Road 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
- I-ii-iii-IV: C Dm Em F
- Descending bass line: C G/B Am C/G
- I-iii: C Em
- I-ii-IV: C Dm F
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 Royal Road progression in each key?
In C major: F G Em Am. In G major: C D Bm Em. In D major: G A F#m Bm. In A major: D E C#m F#m. In E major: A B G#m C#m.
Which songs use the Royal Road progression?
Songs that use it include A Public Affair by Jessica Simpson, It Will Rain by Bruno Mars, Cruel to Be Kind by Nick Lowe.
