Chord progressions

A chord progression is a sequence of chords played in a set order. It is the harmonic backbone of a piece: the chords move away from the home chord to build tension, then resolve back to it, and that motion is what gives music its sense of direction.

The most common chord progression in popular music is I–V–vi–IV, the four-chord pattern heard in hundreds of songs. In the key of C that is C, G, A minor, F. Because it is written in Roman numerals you can move it to any key.

Roman numerals name each chord by its scale degree rather than its letter, so one pattern describes the same progression in all 18 keys. Learn I–V–vi–IV once and you can play it in C, in E, or in Cb without relearning it, and each pattern page here transposes it for you.

Start with one common progression, play it slowly as block chords in the right hand, then let the shared notes stay put while the other voices step to the nearest note (voice leading). Open the page for that pattern and change the key there to hear it move, and follow the learning-order roadmap for a sequence a teacher would give you.

Counting every possible chord order, thousands. But working musicians rely on a named set of a few dozen: the I–V–vi–IV axis, the ii–V–I, the 12-bar blues, the doo-wop changes, Pachelbel’s sequence, the Andalusian cadence, and the cadence formulas. This reference covers each named pattern on its own page, and the printable chart lists them with real chords.

Three nicknames you will meet constantly. The axis progression (also “the four-chord song” or 1-5-6-4) is I–V–vi–IV. The doo-wop changes (also the ’50s progression or “Heart and Soul” changes) are I–vi–IV–V. The two-five-one (ii–V–I) is the engine of jazz harmony: predominant, dominant, home. Each has a full page here with audio in every key.