Guitar Chord Progressions

Lessons ❭ Guitar Chords ❭ Chord Progressions

What is a Chord Progression?

Chord progressions use a combination of chords, within the same major or minor chord key, to create a song structure.

The chords within a key are identified by a roman numeral, depending on what note they are within a scale, and if they are used in their major or minor form. Major chords are identified by capitalized roman numerals and minor chords are undercase.

Major Key Progressions

Major keys consist of notes of major scales, and the chords within major keys follow an order of Major (I), Minor (ii), Minor (iii), Major (IV), Major (V), Minor (VI), Diminished (vii).

I - IV - V Major Key Chord Progression

The I - IV - V chord progression is commonly used in blues, rock and jazz and is also used in the 12 Bar Blues.

  (I)       (IV)      (V)                 
   C         F         G                  
e|-0-0-0-0-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
B|-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|
G|-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|
D|-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-|
E|---------|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|

I - vi - IV - V Major Key Chord Progression

The I - vi - IV - V chord progression is popular in doo-wop and oldies music in the 1950's and 1960's. The I-vi-IV-V progression is also known as the 50's progression.

  (I)       (vi)      (IV)      (V)       
   C         Am        F         G        
e|-3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|
B|-5-5-5-5-|-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-|-4-4-4-4-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-|-5-5-5-5-|
A|-3-5-5-5-|-0-0-0-0-|-3-3-3-3-|-5-5-5-5-|
E|---------|---------|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|

I - vi - ii - V Major Key Chord Progression

The I - vi - ii - V chord progression is used frequently in blues, jazz and is one of the most used chord progressions in music. This chord progression can also be used as a turnaround.

  (I)       (vi)      (ii)      (V)       
   C         Am        Dm        G        
e|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|
B|-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
G|-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-|-4-4-4-4-|
D|-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-|-5-5-5-5-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-|---------|-5-5-5-5-|
E|---------|---------|---------|-3-3-3-3-|

ii - V - I Major Key Chord Progression

The ii - V - I chord progression is used frequently in jazz music and many other style of music. This chord progression is also a turnaround chord progression.

  (ii)      (V)       (I)                 
   Dm        G         C                  
e|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|
B|-3-3-3-3-|-0-0-0-0-|-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-|
G|-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|
D|-0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-|
A|---------|-2-2-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
E|---------|-3-3-3-3-|---------|---------|

Minor Key Progressions

Minor keys consist of notes of the natural minor scale. Minor chord keys follow an order of minor (i), diminished (ii), Major (III), minor (iv), minor (v), Major (VI), Major (VII).

i - iv Minor Key Chord Progression

   (i)      (iv)      
   Cm        Fm       
e|-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-1-1-1-1-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-1-1-1-1-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
E|---------|-1-1-1-1-|

i - v Minor Key Chord Progression

   (i)      (v)       
   Cm        Gm       
e|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-3-3-3-3-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-5-5-5-5-|
E|---------|-3-3-3-3-|

i - VI Minor Key Chord Progression

   (i)      (VI)      
   Cm        Ab       
e|-3-3-3-3-|-4-4-4-4-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-6-6-6-6-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-6-6-6-6-|
E|---------|-4-4-4-4-|

i - VII Minor Key Chord Progression

   (i)      (VII)     
   Cm        Bb       
e|-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-3-3-3-3-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-|
E|---------|---------|

i - iv - v Minor Key Chord Progression

  (i)       (iv)      (v)                 
  Cm         Fm        Gm                 
e|-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-|
E|---------|-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|

i - iv - VI Minor Key Chord Progression

   (i)      (iv)      (VI)                
   Cm        Fm        Ab                 
e|-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-|-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-1-1-1-1-|-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-|
G|-5-5-5-5-|-1-1-1-1-|-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|-6-6-6-6-|-6-6-6-6-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|-6-6-6-6-|-6-6-6-6-|
E|---------|-1-1-1-1-|-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-|

i - VI - VII Minor Key Chord Progression

   (i)      (VI)      (VII)               
   Cm        Ab        Bb                 
e|-3-3-3-3-|-4-4-4-4-|-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-|
B|-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
G|-5-4-4-4-|-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-6-6-6-6-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-6-6-6-6-|-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-|
E|---------|-4-4-4-4-|---------|---------|
Guitar Chords in the Key of C major

Major and Minor Key Guitar Chords

Find the guitar chord keys used in chord progressions. A key is like a family of chords that are used and sound good together.