Chord progressions and harmonic field

If you build a triad on every note of a major scale, you get the seven chords that naturally belong to that key — the harmonic field (or diatonic chords). These are the chords most songs are made of.

The chords of a major key

Building triads on each degree of C major (using only notes from the scale) gives this pattern:

Degree	I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
Quality	Major	minor	minor	Major	Major	minor	dim
In C	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	B°
In G	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F♯°
In D	D	Em	F♯m	G	A	Bm	C♯°
In A	A	Bm	C♯m	D	E	F♯m	G♯°

The pattern is always the same: Major – minor – minor – Major – Major – minor – diminished. Memorize it and you can find the chords of any key.

Roman numerals are used so that we can talk about progressions in any key: uppercase = major, lowercase = minor.

Chord functions

• I (tonic) — home. Stable, resting.
• IV (subdominant) — moves away from home.
• V (dominant) — tension. It strongly wants to resolve back to I.
• vi — the relative minor. Sad version of home.

Famous progressions

Click to hear each one.

I – IV – V — rock 'n' roll, blues, punk, folk.

G → C → D → G · 90 BPMPlay

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I – V – vi – IV — the "pop progression" behind countless hits.

C → G → Am → F · 80 BPMPlay

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vi – IV – I – V — the same chords starting on the minor: more emotional.

Am → F → C → G · 80 BPMPlay

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ii – V – I — the backbone of jazz.

Dm → G → C → C · 80 BPMPlay

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i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII — a minor-key rock and metal favorite (in E minor: Em – D – C – D).

Em → D → C → D · 95 BPMPlay

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Transposing

Because progressions are described in numbers, you can move a song to any key. If a song is I – V – vi – IV in C (C G Am F) but too high for your voice, play it in G: G D Em C. Same song, lower key — and easier chords!

Explore the chords of every key with the circle of fifths tool.