Rock Chords & Chord Progressions

I · V · vi · IV

The most popular progression in modern pop music. Evokes a bittersweet, emotional feeling that works for both uplifting and melancholic songs.

I · I · I · I · IV · IV · I · I · V · IV · I · V

The foundation of rock and roll. Twelve bars of pure groove that launched a million guitar solos.

IV · V · I

The most fundamental cadence in Western music. The V to I creates the strongest sense of resolution and finality. Perfect for endings and moments of triumph.

I · V · vi

The 'plot twist' of music. When you expect resolution to the I chord but get the vi instead. Creates surprise, tension, and emotional depth.

I · IV · V

The quintessential country/folk progression. Three chords and the truth. Simple, honest, and timeless.

i · iv · V

The minor key blues progression. Darker and more melancholic than standard blues, with a raw emotional edge.

i · VII · VI · V

The passionate Andalusian/Phrygian progression. The descending bass line creates a distinctly Spanish, dramatic character.

I7 · I7 · I7 · I7 · IV7 · IV7 · I7 · I7 · V7 · IV7 · I7 · V7

The authentic 12-bar blues with dominant 7th chords on every change. The '7' quality is essential to the blues sound - that flat 7th creates the characteristic bluesy tension.

I · IV · V

Three major chords, played fast, downstroked throughout. Punk did not invent I-IV-V — it is the backbone of blues and early rock and roll — but it stripped the progression of everything else and ran it at double the tempo, which is why two minutes of it still sounds like an argument.

vi · IV · I · V

The same four chords as the pop axis progression, started on the relative minor instead of the tonic. That one change is the difference between triumphant and aggrieved, which is why it became the default setting for pop punk, post-grunge and every angsty rock single of the late 90s.