Chord progressions for songwriting: 11 common ones, with audio

The most common chord progressions in pop fit in a short list. In C major, these five cover a huge share of the songs you already know:

1. I–V–vi–IV: C–G–Am–F
2. vi–IV–I–V: Am–F–C–G
3. I–vi–IV–V: C–Am–F–G
4. I–IV–V: C–F–G, often played as I–IV–V–IV
5. i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A minor: Am–F–C–G

Numbers 1, 2 and 5 use the same four chords. What changes is the order and which chord feels like home, and that is enough to change the emotion. A progression is a shared starting point; your melody, lyric and rhythm are what make the song yours.

Below you can hear 11 progressions, each with its feel, where it works in a song and a link that loads it in the free chord progression player, ready to loop in any key.

Roman numerals and keys in two minutes

A numeral names a chord by its position in the key, and that position is what creates the feeling. The C major scale gives you seven chords:

• Uppercase numerals are major chords: I, IV and V (in C: C, F and G).
• Lowercase numerals are minor chords: ii, iii and vi (in C: Dm, Em and Am).
• vii° is diminished (B° in C) and rarely anchors a pop progression.

So I–V–vi–IV means “home, five, minor six, four”. In C that is C–G–Am–F. In G, where I is G, V is D, vi is Em and IV is C, the same progression is G–D–Em–C. The letters change; the numerals and the feeling stay.

Minor keys count from the minor chord. In A minor, i is Am, and the flat sign says that a chord sits on a lowered degree compared with the major scale: ♭III is C, ♭VI is F and ♭VII is G. Some books drop the flats and write i–VI–III–VII; it is the same progression. A capital V in minor (E instead of Em) comes from the harmonic minor scale and pulls hard back to Am.

Transposing means moving a progression to another key so it fits your voice. Two practical ways:

• Capo: keep the same guitar shapes and move the capo. Each fret raises everything a half step, so C–G–Am–F shapes with the capo on the 2nd fret sound as D–A–Bm–G.
• The player’s key selector: every link in this article opens a progression in the chord player. Change the key and the numerals stay put while the chord names are recalculated.

To find your key, sing the highest chorus line you imagine over the loop. If it strains, move the key down; if it sounds dull, move it up.

The most common chord progressions at a glance

Progression	Chords in C (or A minor)	Feel	Typical use
I–V–vi–IV	C–G–Am–F	Open, hopeful, anthemic	Choruses, singalong pop
vi–IV–I–V	Am–F–C–G	Bittersweet, driving	Verses, emotional pop and rock
I–vi–IV–V	C–Am–F–G	Warm, nostalgic	Ballads, doo-wop, retro pop
I–IV–V–IV	C–F–G–F	Direct, raw	Rock, folk, country, punk
Canon: I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V	C–G–Am–Em–F–C–F–G	Stately, unfolding	Intros, long choruses, ceremonies
12-bar blues	C7 ×4, F7 ×2, C7 ×2, G7, F7, C7, G7	Earthy, swaggering	Blues, rock and roll, jams
ii–V–I	Dm7–G7–Cmaj7	Smooth, resolved	Jazz, soul, R&B, bridges
Royal road: IVmaj7–V7–iii7–vi	Fmaj7–G7–Em7–Am	Yearning, lush	J-pop, anime songs, pre-choruses
Andalusian: i–♭VII–♭VI–V	Am–G–F–E	Dramatic, Spanish	Flamenco, rumba, dark verses
Minor loop: i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII	Am–F–C–G	Epic, melancholic	Ballads, cinematic choruses
Same minor loop over dembow	Am–F–C–G	Danceable, moody	Reggaeton, Latin pop

“Feel” is a tendency, not a rule: tempo, rhythm and melody can push any of these toward joy or sadness. The audio is in C or A minor except for three examples in the keys where they are usually played: I–IV–V–IV in G, the canon in D and the blues in A.

The four-chord pop progressions

The examples are short teaching sketches synthesized in your browser, not finished productions. Each one starts with a one-bar count-in.

I–V–vi–IV: the open, anthemic loop

After the count-in (0:00–0:02), keys, bass and a pop beat play C at 0:02, G at 0:05, Am at 0:07 and F at 0:10, and the loop repeats from 0:12. Listen to the end of each pass: F at 0:10 leaves you leaning forward, and the C at 0:12 feels like arriving again. That constant return is why so many singalong choruses ride on it.

Where to use it: choruses, uplifting verses, any song that should feel open. Heard in: “Let It Be” and “No Woman, No Cry” use C–G–Am–F; “Don’t Stop Believin’” uses I–V–vi–IV in E (E–B–C♯m–A).

Loop I–V–vi–IV in the chord player

vi–IV–I–V: the same chords, starting in minor

The first chord after the count-in is Am at 0:02, then F at 0:04, C at 0:07 and G at 0:09; the loop starts over at 0:12. These are the chords of the previous example, rotated. Because every pass begins on Am, the ear hears a minor color first, and the C at 0:07 sounds like a moment of light rather than home. With strummed guitar and rock drums it drives, but never feels carefree.

Where to use it: restless verses before a brighter chorus, emotional pop-rock. Heard in: “Zombie” by The Cranberries uses vi–IV–I–V.

Loop vi–IV–I–V in the chord player

I–vi–IV–V: the fifties progression

At 84 BPM, with arpeggios and a ballad beat, C arrives at 0:02, Am at 0:05, F at 0:08 and G at 0:11, and the loop restarts at 0:14. The drop to Am right after home gives it a tender, nostalgic turn, and the G at 0:11 tells you the C at 0:14 is coming. It is also called the doo-wop progression, after the 1950s ballads built on it.

Where to use it: ballads, retro pop, verses that tell a story. Heard in: “Stand by Me” uses I–vi–IV–V.

Loop I–vi–IV–V in the chord player

Rock, classical, blues, jazz and J-pop classics

I–IV–V–IV: three chords and a groove (in G)

This one is in G, a favorite key on guitar: G at 0:02, C at 0:04, D at 0:06, back to C at 0:08, and the loop again from 0:10. There is no minor chord, so nothing softens it; with guitar and rock drums it sounds direct and physical. Listen to the D at 0:06: stepping back to C instead of resolving to G keeps the loop rolling.

Where to use it: rock, folk, country, punk, choruses that should hit hard. In C it is C–F–G–F.

Loop I–IV–V–IV in G in the chord player

The canon: I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V (in D)

These are the eight chords of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. After a slightly longer count-in (0:00–0:03), the arpeggio gives each chord one bar: D (0:03), A (0:06), Bm (0:10), F♯m (0:13), G (0:16), D (0:20), G (0:23) and A (0:26). The first half drifts away from home, with F♯m at 0:13 as the least expected color; the second half circles back, and the A at 0:26 hands over to D so it can start again.

Where to use it: intros, long choruses, songs that should feel ceremonial; or split it, first half under a verse, second half as a lead-in. In C: C–G–Am–Em–F–C–F–G.

Loop the canon in D in the chord player

The 12-bar blues (in A)

Twelve bars, three chords, all dominant sevenths, on guitar and rock drums. A7 plays from 0:02 for four bars, D7 arrives at 0:11 for two, A7 returns at 0:16 for two, then E7 at 0:20, D7 at 0:23, A7 at 0:25 and E7 again at 0:27, the turnaround that sends you back to the top. The key moment is 0:11: after four bars on A7, the move to D7 is the lift the whole form has been waiting for.

Where to use it: blues, rock and roll, jams. The traditional blues lyric fits the form: a line, the same line again and an answer, one per four-bar phrase. In C: C7, F7 and G7.

Loop the 12-bar blues in A in the chord player

ii–V–I: the jazz cadence

A soft pad plays Dm7 at 0:02, G7 at 0:05 and Cmaj7 at 0:08, held for two bars, and the cycle repeats at 0:14. Listen to the G7 at 0:05: its seventh adds tension that the Cmaj7 releases at 0:08, and the two held bars let the release sink in. The roots fall by fifths, D to G to C, the movement jazz leans on most.

Where to use it: jazz, soul, R&B and neo-soul, and in pop as a smooth way into a chorus or out of a bridge.

Loop ii–V–I in the chord player

The royal road: IVmaj7–V7–iii7–vi

In Japan this is ōdō shinkō, “the royal road”, and it starts away from home: Fmaj7 at 0:02, G7 at 0:05, Em7 at 0:08 and Am at 0:10, looping from 0:13, with an arpeggio over a pop beat. It never lands on C, so it feels suspended and yearning. The G7 at 0:05 seems to promise C, the Em7 at 0:08 sidesteps it, and the Am at 0:10 turns the promise bittersweet.

Where to use it: J-pop, anime songs, city pop, and pre-choruses: a chorus that starts on C sounds like the answer this loop kept postponing.

Loop the royal road in the chord player

Minor-key progressions

The Andalusian cadence: i–♭VII–♭VI–V

Four chords walking down on a strummed guitar: Am at 0:02, G at 0:05, F at 0:07 and E at 0:10, then back to Am at 0:13. The roots step down A–G–F–E, and the E major at 0:10 (not E minor) creates a strong pull back to Am. That dramatic, Spanish sound comes from flamenco, where the same chords are often heard with E as the resting point.

Where to use it: dark or dramatic verses, rumba and flamenco pop, rock that needs tension. Heard in: “Hit the Road Jack” is built on this descent.

Loop the Andalusian cadence in the chord player

The epic minor loop: i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII

After a one-bar count-in (0:00–0:03), Am enters at 0:03, F at 0:06, C at 0:09 and G at 0:12, and the loop repeats at 0:15. These are the chords of vi–IV–I–V, but slower, arpeggiated over a ballad beat and heard with Am as home. Now the G at 0:12 leads back to Am instead of to C, and the loop sounds wide and melancholic, like film music.

Where to use it: ballads, cinematic choruses, sad songs that still need to build. For more options, see sad chord progressions.

Loop i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in the chord player

The same loop over a dembow beat

The same four chords again: Am at 0:02, F at 0:05, C at 0:07 and G at 0:10, repeating from 0:13. What changes is the groove. The keyboard hits on the beat and the dembow pattern gives it the bounce of reggaeton. Play it right after the previous example: identical harmony, different feeling. Groove is part of a progression’s character.

Where to use it: reggaeton, Latin pop, urban pop. Heard in: “Despacito” is built on this minor loop, i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII (often written i–VI–III–VII).

Loop the minor loop with dembow in the chord player

How to choose a progression for each section

A song rarely needs a new progression in every section. It needs contrast when the chorus arrives. Four rules of thumb:

• Verse: start away from home (on vi or IV), or keep the chords sparse, so the verse feels like it is heading somewhere.
• Pre-chorus: move to ii or IV and end on V; an unresolved V builds pressure. See how to write a pre-chorus.
• Chorus: start on I, on the downbeat. After a verse that avoids home, landing on C sounds like an arrival.
• Bridge: bring in a chord you have not used yet, such as iii, ♭VI or ♭VII. See how to write a song bridge.

A worked example in C, built only from progressions on this page:

Section	Numerals	Chords in C	Why it works
Verse	vi–IV–I–V	Am–F–C–G	Starts in minor, restless
Pre-chorus	ii–IV–V–V	Dm–F–G–G	Rises and stalls on V
Chorus	I–V–vi–IV	C–G–Am–F	Same chords as the verse, now starting on home
Bridge	♭VI–♭VII–IV–V	A♭–B♭–F–G	Two new chords borrowed from C minor, then back to V

The verse and the chorus share all four chords; the contrast comes from the starting point, plus what you change in melody, register and arrangement. The song structure guide shows how the sections fit together, and the song structure planner lets you map yours.

Six ways to make a common progression your own

1. Change one chord. Swap a single chord for a less expected one. The classic is the borrowed iv: C–F–Fm–C, where the minor Fm darkens the loop for a moment before home (try I–IV–iv–I). You can also replace IV with ii (C–G–Am–Dm) or V with iii (C–Em–Am–F).
2. Change the rhythm of the changes. Put two chords in one bar, hold one for two bars, or push a change an eighth note early.
3. Rotate the start. C–G–Am–F, Am–F–C–G and F–C–G–Am are the same cycle. Each start gives a different home and mood, as the first two examples show.
4. Use inversions and slash chords. Put another chord tone in the bass: C–G/B–Am–F makes the bass walk down C–B–A, and C/E or F/A smooths out big leaps. The chords stay; the line underneath becomes yours.
5. Change the pattern and the drums. Arpeggio, strum, sustained pad or a pulse on the beat; a ballad, rock or dembow groove. The epic minor loop and the reggaeton example share their chords; in the player, the style and drums selectors make this change in one click.
6. Add a seventh or a sus. Cmaj7, Am7, Fmaj7, or a Gsus4 that resolves to G, add color without changing what each chord does. Try Imaj7–V–vi–IVmaj7 and play the sus chords on your instrument.

Can you use the same chords as another song?

In general, yes. Common progressions such as I–V–vi–IV or the 12-bar blues are shared building blocks that appear in countless songs, and a progression like these is generally not, on its own, what makes a song protectable. What usually makes a song original is its melody and its lyrics. Borrowing a familiar loop is normal; copying someone’s melody or words is a different matter. This is general information, not legal advice; if you have a concrete case, talk to a lawyer who works with music.

Exercise: two loops, one lyric line

Fifteen minutes. The harmony chooses the mood before you write the rest.

1. Write one line that states your song’s idea. Example: “Leave the porch light on.”
2. Loop A: open I–V–vi–IV in C. Hum a melody over four passes without words, then sing the line on it. Record a take in the player, which records in your browser.
3. Loop B: open the epic minor loop in A minor. Hum over it, sing the same line and record that too.
4. Compare. Listen to both takes once. Which loop makes the words mean what you want? Over which one did your melody move more?
5. Keep one and write the next line on it. When you have a verse, write it out with the chords above the words in the chord sheet maker and transpose it to your key.

With the example line, I–V–vi–IV turns “Leave the porch light on” into a promise: someone is on the way home. Over the minor loop, the same words sound like waiting for someone who may not come. If your song is about hope, keep loop A; if it is about absence, keep loop B. If both feel right, use the minor loop in the verse and the major one in the chorus.

Then set the rest of the words with how to put music to lyrics, shape the tune with the melody guide, and turn the phrase you keep singing into a chorus centerpiece with how to write a hook.

Prefer to try progressions on your phone? We compared the chord progression apps for songwriting, free and paid, on iPhone and Android.

Where Zoundroom fits

An idea from this exercise has two halves that get separated easily: the loop and the humming. In Zoundroom, make the song a project and write the chord chart in a note: numerals, chords in your key, BPM and the player link. Then play the loop on your laptop and record inside that same note on your phone while you hum, so a single take catches both; the audio is inserted where your cursor is, right under the chart. If you recorded in the player instead, download the take, import it into the project and insert it into the note. Next week, the chart and every take are still in one place. Here is how notes and lyrics work with audio.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most used chord progression?

Nobody has counted every song, but I–V–vi–IV (C–G–Am–F in C) and its rotations, especially vi–IV–I–V, are among the most common in pop. I–IV–V dominates older rock, folk and blues.

How do I write my own chord progression?

Pick a key, start on I, add two or three other chords from that key and end on one that leads back, usually V or IV. Loop it, hum over it and change one thing at a time with the six methods above. If a melody comes easily and the loop still sounds fresh after a minute, keep it.

How many chords does a song need?

Fewer than you might think. Some songs sit on one or two chords, the 12-bar blues uses three, and most pop songs use three to five. What keeps a song interesting is how its melody, lyric and arrangement change, not the number of chords.

Why do major progressions sound happy and minor ones sad?

The quality of the home chord colors everything around it: a major tonic sounds bright, a minor tonic darker. It is a tendency, not a law. Tempo, rhythm and melody can make a major loop sound sad or a minor loop sound like a party, as the dembow example shows. Sad chord progressions goes deeper.

Are chord progressions different on guitar and piano?

The numerals are the same; only the comfortable keys change. On guitar, G, C, D, A and E have easy open shapes, and a capo moves them anywhere. On piano, C, G and F are the easiest places to start. The player’s key selector plays any progression in the key you need.