Chord Progressions in C Major
Common chord progressions in C Major (C Dm Em F G Am B°), sorted by genre and fingered for guitar or piano. Pick one and write a song with it.
Chords in C Major
- I: C
- ii: Dm
- iii: Em
- IV: F
- V: G
- vi: Am
- vii°: B°
Progressions
- Axis of Pop (I V vi IV): C G Am F
- Sensitive (vi IV I V): Am F C G
- '50s Doo-Wop (I vi IV V): C Am F G
- Three-Chord Classic (I IV V I): C F G C
- ii–V–I (ii7 V7 Imaj7): Dm7 G7 Cmaj7
- Twelve-Bar Blues (I7 I7 I7 I7 IV7 IV7 I7 I7 V7 IV7 I7 V7): C7 C7 C7 C7 F7 F7 C7 C7 G7 F7 C7 G7
- Epic Minor (i ♭VI ♭VII, in A Minor): Am F G
- Andalusian Cadence (i ♭VII ♭VI V, in A Minor): Am G F E
- Mixolydian Rock (I ♭VII IV I): C B♭ F C
- Pop Climb (I IV vi V): C F Am G
- Minor Pop Loop (i ♭VI ♭III ♭VII, in A Minor): Am F C G
- Royal Road (IVmaj7 V7 iii7 vi7): Fmaj7 G7 Em7 Am7
- Pachelbel’s Canon (I V vi iii IV I IV V): C G Am Em F C F G
- Rhythm Turnaround (Imaj7 vi7 ii7 V7): Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7
- Aeolian Rock (i ♭VII ♭VI ♭VII, in A Minor): Am G F G
- Anthem Lift (IV I V vi): F C G Am
- Build-Up (IV V vi): F G Am
- Country Back-and-Forth (I IV I V): C F C G
- Garage Rock (I IV V IV): C F G F
- Neo-Soul Vamp (Imaj7 IVmaj7): Cmaj7 Fmaj7
- Minor Vamp (i7 iv7, in A Minor): Am7 Dm7
- Mario Cadence (I ♭VI ♭VII I): C A♭ B♭ C
- Minor Plagal (I IV iv I): C F Fm C
- Creep (I III IV iv): C E F Fm
- Lydian Lift (I II IV I): C D F C
- Quick-Change Blues (I7 IV7 I7 I7 IV7 IV7 I7 I7 V7 IV7 I7 V7): C7 F7 C7 C7 F7 F7 C7 C7 G7 F7 C7 G7
- Eight-Bar Blues (I7 V7 IV7 IV7 I7 V7 I7 V7): C7 G7 F7 F7 C7 G7 C7 G7
- Minor Blues (i7 i7 i7 i7 iv7 iv7 i7 i7 ♭VI7 V7 i7 V7, in A Minor): Am7 Am7 Am7 Am7 Dm7 Dm7 Am7 Am7 F7 E7 Am7 E7
- Blues Vamp (I7 IV7): C7 F7
- Minor Three-Chord (i iv v, in A Minor): Am Dm Em
- Ragtime (I II7 V7 I): C D7 G7 C
- Country Walk (I V IV I): C G F C
- Country iii (I iii IV V): C Em F G
- Circle Turnaround (iii7 vi7 ii7 V7): Em7 Am7 Dm7 G7
- I–VI–ii–V (Imaj7 VI7 ii7 V7): Cmaj7 A7 Dm7 G7
- Dominant Chain (III7 VI7 II7 V7): E7 A7 D7 G7
- Minor ii–V–i (iiø7 V7 i7, in A Minor): Bø7 E7 Am7
- Tritone Sub ii–V–I (ii7 ♭II7 Imaj7): Dm7 D♭7 Cmaj7
- Backdoor ii–V (ii7 ♭VII7 Imaj7): Dm7 B♭7 Cmaj7
- Gospel Turn (I I7 IV iv): C C7 F Fm
- Neo-Soul Descent (IVmaj7 iii7 ii7 Imaj7): Fmaj7 Em7 Dm7 Cmaj7
- Phrygian Riff (i ♭II, in A Minor): Am B♭
- Minor Drama (i iv ♭VI V, in A Minor): Am Dm F E
- Rock Pivot (vi V IV V): Am G F G
- Minor Rise (i iv ♭VI ♭VII, in A Minor): Am Dm F G
- Dark March (i ♭III ♭VII iv, in A Minor): Am C G Dm