Common Chord Progressions
The progressions that show up everywhere, in Roman numerals so they transpose to any key.
Pop & rock staples
- I - V - vi - IV - the "four chord song" - most pop music since the 90s, in some rotation.
- vi - IV - I - V - the same four chords, starting from the minor - sadder opening, same destination.
- I - IV - V - I - the oldest, simplest cadence - rock, folk, country.
Jazz staples
- ii - V - I - the single most common jazz cadence - practically every standard uses it somewhere.
- I - vi - ii - V - a jazz turnaround, cycling back to the top of the form.
Blues
- 12-bar blues: I - I - I - I - IV - IV - I - I - V - IV - I - V (one bar each, repeat from the top).
Worth remembering
- Roman numerals describe the pattern, not a fixed key - I-V-vi-IV in C is C-G-Am-F; in G it's G-D-Em-C. Same shape, any key.
- Uppercase = major chord, lowercase = minor chord.