Chord Progression
I-IV-vi-V chord progression
Minor lift on bar 3.
The shape
I — IV — vi — V
In real keys
The chords, key by key.
Built on the major scale, so it lives in the 15 major keys. Every chord below links to its own page — shapes on six instruments, audio, and the mistakes to avoid. Hit play to hear the whole cycle.
All 15 keys
Need a key that is not listed? Use the transposer.
Analysis
What each numeral is doing.
Roman numerals name a chord by its position in the key rather than by its letter, which is why one progression works in every key. Uppercase is major, lowercase is minor, ° is diminished, ø is half-diminished, and a leading ♭ lowers the root a semitone.
- I
Tonic
Home. Everything is measured against it and everything wants to return to it.
- IV
Subdominant
The step away. Moves you off home without demanding a resolution.
- vi
Submediant
The relative minor. Same notes as the tonic, opposite mood.
- V
Dominant
Maximum tension. The leading tone inside it pulls hard back to the tonic.
Heard it before
Songs built on I-IV-vi-V.
- No Woman No Cry
Why it works
The reason it sticks.
Minor lift on bar 3. The memorable part is the motion: each chord pulls toward the next in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable, and the cycle closes cleanly enough that you can loop it for three minutes without anyone getting bored.
Once the I-IV-vi-V pattern is in your ear you will start hearing it everywhere. That is not a coincidence — writers reach for it because the tension-and-release shape is doing the emotional work before the melody even arrives. Change the key and nothing about that changes; only the letters do.
Next
Related pop progressions
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What is the I-IV-vi-V Chord Progression?
I-IV-vi-V is a progression built on the I, IV, vi, V scale degrees of any major key. Minor lift on bar 3.
What are the I-IV-vi-V chords in C Major?
In C Major the progression is C – F – Am – G. The same shape transposes to all 15 major keys.
Which songs use the I-IV-vi-V progression?
No Woman No Cry all use the I-IV-vi-V progression in some form.
Is the I-IV-vi-V progression hard to play?
Difficulty: beginner. The 4-bar cycle repeats predictably, so once the chord shapes are under your fingers the progression flows on its own.
Can I transpose I-IV-vi-V to another key?
Yes — that is the point of roman-numeral analysis. Every key on this page is the same progression; pick the one that suits your voice or your open chords.