Raw Chord Progressions & Guitar Chords

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.

i · iv · V

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

I · IV · V

Fast, simple, and aggressive. The Ramones took basic rock chords and played them at breakneck speed with all downstrokes, creating the blueprint for punk rock.

i · iv · III · VI

The iconic grunge progression: i-iv-III-VI with power chords. The pairs of chords (i-iv and III-VI) are each a fourth apart, creating that restless, angsty energy that defined 90s alternative rock.

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.