vi IV I Chord Progression
In the key of C major the vi-IV-I progression is Am F C. In the Nashville Number System it is written 6m 4 1.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The first three chords of the singer-songwriter loop, closing on a plagal IV to I instead of moving on to V. Without V the phrase feels gentle and floats between the minor and major tonics. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Want It That Way | Backstreet Boys | verse | F#m D A | A major |
| Walk Me Home | Pink | verse and chorus | Bbm Gb Db | Db major |
| Little Talks | Of Monsters and Men | verse | Bbm Gb Db | Db major |
vi IV I 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.
Longer progressions that contain it
- Singer-songwriter progression: Am F C G
More progressions like this one
- IV-V-vi: F G Am
- I-iii-vi-IV: C Em Am F
- vi-iii-IV-I: Am Em F C
- Romanesca (major-key form): C G Am 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 vi-IV-I progression in each key?
In C major: Am F C. In G major: Em C G. In D major: Bm G D. In A major: F#m D A. In E major: C#m A E.
Which songs use the vi-IV-I progression?
Songs that use it include I Want It That Way by Backstreet Boys, Walk Me Home by Pink, Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men.
