Chord Progression Chart

The most common chord progressions written out in all 12 keys, major and minor, with the chords of every key and how to play them. Download it, print it, or click any chord in the table to hear it with a band.

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Common chord progressions in every major key

Read across for one key, down for one progression. Each key's relative minor is beside it.

IV uppercase: major vi lowercase: minor vii° diminished 1–5–6–4 the same in numbers How to read the numerals

Key	I–V–vi–IV 1–5–6–4	I–IV–V 1–4–5	I–vi–IV–V 1–6–4–5	vi–IV–I–V 6–4–1–5	I–IV–vi–V 1–4–6–5	ii7–V7–Imaj7 2–5–1
C / Am	C – G – Am – F	C – F – G	C – Am – F – G	Am – F – C – G	C – F – Am – G	Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
D♭ / B♭m	D♭ – A♭ – B♭m – G♭	D♭ – G♭ – A♭	D♭ – B♭m – G♭ – A♭	B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭	D♭ – G♭ – B♭m – A♭	E♭m7 – A♭7 – D♭maj7
D / Bm	D – A – Bm – G	D – G – A	D – Bm – G – A	Bm – G – D – A	D – G – Bm – A	Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7
E♭ / Cm	E♭ – B♭ – Cm – A♭	E♭ – A♭ – B♭	E♭ – Cm – A♭ – B♭	Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭	E♭ – A♭ – Cm – B♭	Fm7 – B♭7 – E♭maj7
E / C♯m	E – B – C♯m – A	E – A – B	E – C♯m – A – B	C♯m – A – E – B	E – A – C♯m – B	F♯m7 – B7 – Emaj7
F / Dm	F – C – Dm – B♭	F – B♭ – C	F – Dm – B♭ – C	Dm – B♭ – F – C	F – B♭ – Dm – C	Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7
F♯ / D♯m	F♯ – C♯ – D♯m – B	F♯ – B – C♯	F♯ – D♯m – B – C♯	D♯m – B – F♯ – C♯	F♯ – B – D♯m – C♯	G♯m7 – C♯7 – F♯maj7
G / Em	G – D – Em – C	G – C – D	G – Em – C – D	Em – C – G – D	G – C – Em – D	Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7
A♭ / Fm	A♭ – E♭ – Fm – D♭	A♭ – D♭ – E♭	A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭	Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭	A♭ – D♭ – Fm – E♭	B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7
A / F♯m	A – E – F♯m – D	A – D – E	A – F♯m – D – E	F♯m – D – A – E	A – D – F♯m – E	Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7
B♭ / Gm	B♭ – F – Gm – E♭	B♭ – E♭ – F	B♭ – Gm – E♭ – F	Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F	B♭ – E♭ – Gm – F	Cm7 – F7 – B♭maj7
B / G♯m	B – F♯ – G♯m – E	B – E – F♯	B – G♯m – E – F♯	G♯m – E – B – F♯	B – E – G♯m – F♯	C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7

The chords in every key

Every progression is built from these seven chords. Amber chords are major, blue minor, purple diminished; a major key's vi is its relative minor.

The chords of every major key
Key	I Major	ii Minor	iii Minor	IV Major	V Major	vi Minor	vii° Diminished
C	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	B°
D♭	D♭	E♭m	Fm	G♭	A♭	B♭m	C°
D	D	Em	F♯m	G	A	Bm	C♯°
E♭	E♭	Fm	Gm	A♭	B♭	Cm	D°
E	E	F♯m	G♯m	A	B	C♯m	D♯°
F	F	Gm	Am	B♭	C	Dm	E°
F♯	F♯	G♯m	A♯m	B	C♯	D♯m	E♯°
G	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F♯°
A♭	A♭	B♭m	Cm	D♭	E♭	Fm	G°
A	A	Bm	C♯m	D	E	F♯m	G♯°
B♭	B♭	Cm	Dm	E♭	F	Gm	A°
B	B	C♯m	D♯m	E	F♯	G♯m	A♯°

Guitar, ukulele and piano chord progression chart

Most of the progressions above use just four chords: I, IV, V and vi. Here is how to play them in every key, coloured by type, with each key playable as I–V–vi–IV.

Download the guitar chart (PNG)

1 · Major

4 · Major

5 · Major

6m · Minor

C
Am
IC
IVF
VG
viAm
D♭
B♭m
ID♭
IVG♭
VA♭
viB♭m
D
Bm
ID
IVG
VA
viBm
E♭
Cm
IE♭
IVA♭
VB♭
viCm
E
C♯m
IE
IVA
VB
viC♯m
F
Dm
IF
IVB♭
VC
viDm
F♯
D♯m
IF♯
IVB
VC♯
viD♯m
G
Em
IG
IVC
VD
viEm
A♭
Fm
IA♭
IVD♭
VE♭
viFm
A
F♯m
IA
IVD
VE
viF♯m
B♭
Gm
IB♭
IVE♭
VF
viGm
B
G♯m
IB
IVE
VF♯
viG♯m

Press play on any key to hear its four chords as I–V–vi–IV. The second line under each key is its relative minor, the vi.

Chord progression map: which chord comes next

In a major key the chords tend to flow one way, from iii toward I: iii → vi → ii or IV → V or vii° → I, and from I you can go anywhere. Tap the chords to hear them and build a progression that follows the map.

Key

Tap a chord to hear it and start a progression. I is a good place to begin.

and from I, anywhere

usually next also common

Your progressionnothing yet

The map, chord by chord

I → any chord Home. It can go to any chord.
ii → V or vii° Prepares the dominant: goes to V or vii°.
iii → vi (also IV) Leads to vi, sometimes to IV.
IV → V or vii° (also I or ii) Moves away from home: to V or vii°, or back to I or ii.
V → I (also vi) The strongest pull home: to I, or to vi for a surprise.
vi → ii or IV Goes to ii or IV, the chords that lead to V.
vii° → I Resolves to I.

Common chord progressions in every minor key

A minor key counts from its own i, so in A minor the VII is G. A capital V is the major chord of harmonic minor, the one that pulls hardest back to i.

Key	i–iv–v Minor one-four-five	i–iv–V Harmonic minor cadence	i–VI–III–VII Epic minor	i–VII–VI–V Andalusian cadence	i–VI–VII Aeolian rock
Am	Am – Dm – Em	Am – Dm – E	Am – F – C – G	Am – G – F – E	Am – F – G
B♭m	B♭m – E♭m – Fm	B♭m – E♭m – F	B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭	B♭m – A♭ – G♭ – F	B♭m – G♭ – A♭
Bm	Bm – Em – F♯m	Bm – Em – F♯	Bm – G – D – A	Bm – A – G – F♯	Bm – G – A
Cm	Cm – Fm – Gm	Cm – Fm – G	Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭	Cm – B♭ – A♭ – G	Cm – A♭ – B♭
C♯m	C♯m – F♯m – G♯m	C♯m – F♯m – G♯	C♯m – A – E – B	C♯m – B – A – G♯	C♯m – A – B
Dm	Dm – Gm – Am	Dm – Gm – A	Dm – B♭ – F – C	Dm – C – B♭ – A	Dm – B♭ – C
D♯m	D♯m – G♯m – A♯m	D♯m – G♯m – A♯	D♯m – B – F♯ – C♯	D♯m – C♯ – B – A♯	D♯m – B – C♯
Em	Em – Am – Bm	Em – Am – B	Em – C – G – D	Em – D – C – B	Em – C – D
Fm	Fm – B♭m – Cm	Fm – B♭m – C	Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭	Fm – E♭ – D♭ – C	Fm – D♭ – E♭
F♯m	F♯m – Bm – C♯m	F♯m – Bm – C♯	F♯m – D – A – E	F♯m – E – D – C♯	F♯m – D – E
Gm	Gm – Cm – Dm	Gm – Cm – D	Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F	Gm – F – E♭ – D	Gm – E♭ – F
G♯m	G♯m – C♯m – D♯m	G♯m – C♯m – D♯	G♯m – E – B – F♯	G♯m – F♯ – E – D♯	G♯m – E – F♯

Download the charts

Free to print and share. The PDF has two pages: the major-key chart, then the minor-key progressions and the chords of every key.

Download PDF (2 pages) Download the main chart

How to read the numerals

I–V–vi–IV is not a list of chords. It is a recipe that works in any key. Here is how to read it.

Your key

1

Take the seven chords of your key.

Every key has seven. These are the seven of C major:

CDmEmFGAmB°
2

Number them from 1 to 7.

Roman numerals are just those numbers: I is 1, V is 5, vi is 6.

I C 1 ii Dm 2 iii Em 3 IV F 4 V G 5 vi Am 6 vii° B° 7
3

Play the numbers in order.

I–V–vi–IV means chord 1, then 5, then 6, then 4:

I C V G vi Am IV F = C – G – Am – F in C

Now pick another key above: the numbers stay the same, the chords change. That is why progressions are written in numerals.

IV capital: major chord vi small: minor chord vii° circle: diminished ♭VII flat: a chord from outside the key (B♭ in C)

Minor keys work the same way, counting from the minor chord: in A minor, i is Am, iv is Dm and VII is G.

Hear every progression

In any key and sound, with guitar, ukulele and piano shapes.

Build your own progression

Start from any of these in the Chord Player and make it a song.

Transpose your own chords

Move any progression to another key, with capo.