Chord Progressions

Explore chord progressions used across pop, rock, jazz, blues, classical, and more. Each progression includes Roman numeral analysis, resolved chord names in every key, and real song examples. Whether you are songwriting, learning theory, or looking for inspiration, find the right harmonic pattern below. See also the chord reference for individual chord types, and the key signature reference for diatonic harmony in all keys.

Pop

i–♭III–♭VI–♭VII The Aeolian Wheel i–♭III–♭VI–V The Minor Cascade i–♭III–iv–V The Minor Approach i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII The Circle of Minor Thirds i–♭VI–iv The Melancholy Loop I–♭VII–IV–I The Double Plagal Turnaround I–ii–iii–IV The Ascending Walk I–ii–iii–IV–V–I The Scalar Ascent I–ii–IV–V The Steady Climb i–ii–V The Minor ii-V I–ii–V The Classic Turnaround I–III–IV–iv The Chromatic Slide I–iii–IV–iv–V–I The Chromatic Walkdown I–iii–IV–V The Gentle Rise I–iii–vi–IV The Descending Thirds I–iii–vi–V The Mediant Turnaround i–imaj7–i7–iv The Chromatic Line Cliché I–IV The Two-Chord Rock i–iv–♭VI–♭VII The Minor Ascension i–iv–♭VI–V The Dramatic Minor i–iv–♭VII–V The Minor Resolution I–IV–I–V The Pendulum Swing I–IV–ii–V The Pop Standard I–IV–V–I The Classic Cadence I–IV–V–IV The Anthem Bounce I–IV–V–vi The Major-to-Minor Turn I–IV–vi–V The Hopeful Turn I–IV–vi–V–iii–vi The Extended Pop Weave I–V The Tonic-Dominant Shift i–V–♭VI–IV The Minor Pop Cycle I–V–I The Simple Cadence I–V–IV The Rock Backbone I–V–IV–V The Rocking Loop I–V–vi The Bittersweet Drop I–V–vi–ii The Descending Fifths I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V Pachelbel's Canon I–V–vi–IV The Pop Progression I–V–vi–IV–I The Extended Pop Cycle I–V–vi–IV–I–V The Extended Pop Anthem I–vi–ii–V The '50s Turnaround I–vi–ii–V–iii–vi The Extended Jazz Cycle I–vi–IV–ii The Descending Thirds Turnaround I–vi–IV–V The 50s Progression I–vi–V The Doo-Wop Core I6–IV–V Major Sixth Tonic Progression Iadd9–IVadd9 Shimmering Add9 Vamp Iadd9–V Add9 Tonic to Dominant ii–V7–I The Jazz Cadence Imaj7–ii–V Jazz Turnaround Setup Isus4–I Tonic Suspension Resolution IV–I The Plagal Motion IV–I–V–vi The Rotated Pop Hit IV–V The Pre-Cadence Lift V–I The Authentic Cadence v6–I Minor Sixth Dominant Approach V7–I The Authentic Cadence vi–IV–I–V The Axis Rotation vi–IV–V–I The Dramatic Resolve vi–V–IV–V The Minor Descent Lift vii°–I Leading-Tone Diminished Resolution Vsus2–V–I Suspended Second Cadence Vsus4–V–I Suspended Fourth Cadence

Rock

♭VI–♭VII–I The Mario Cadence ♭VI–V–I The Chromatic Approach ♭VII–IV–I The Double Plagal i–♭VII–♭VI–V The Andalusian Cadence I–♭VII–I The Blues Rock Slide I–♭VII–IV The Mixolydian Vamp I–♭II–♭VII–I The Phrygian Detour i–♭III–♭VI–♭VII The Aeolian Wheel i–♭III–♭VI–V The Minor Cascade i–♭III–♭VII The Natural Minor Climb i–♭III–♭VII–IV The Dorian Modal Loop I–♭III–♭VII–IV The Modal Rock Loop i–♭III–iv The Minor Sway i–♭III–IV The Dorian Rise i–♭III–iv–V The Minor Approach i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII The Circle of Minor Thirds i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII The Metal Cycle i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII–iv–V The Epic Minor Journey i–♭VI–♭VII Minor Escape i–♭VI–♭VII–♭III The Power Minor Loop i–♭VI–♭VII–i The Minor Orbit I–♭VI–♭VII–I The Power Rock Return I–♭VI–♭VII–IV The Punk Borrower i–♭VI–♭VII–V The Minor Climber i–♭VI–iv The Melancholy Loop i–♭VI–iv–V The Gothic Minor i–♭VI–IV–V The Metal Resolve i–♭VI–V The Minor Pivot i–♭VII The Aeolian Shuttle I–♭VII The Mixolydian Shuttle i–♭VII–♭VI The Andalusian Fragment I–♭VII–♭VI The Major Descent i–♭VII–♭VI–♭V The Chromatic Descent i–♭VII–i The Minor Neighbor i–♭VII–IV The Dorian Descent I–♭VII–IV–I The Double Plagal Turnaround I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–V 12-Bar Blues I–I–IV–I The Blues Riff Base I–ii–iii–IV The Ascending Walk I–ii–IV–V The Steady Climb I–ii–V The Classic Turnaround I–III–IV–iv The Chromatic Slide I–iii–IV–V The Gentle Rise I–iii–vi–IV The Descending Thirds I–IV The Two-Chord Rock i–iv–♭VI–♭VII The Minor Ascension i–iv–♭VI–V The Dramatic Minor i–iv–♭VII The Minor Drift i–iv–♭VII–V The Minor Resolution I–IV–I–V The Pendulum Swing I–IV–I–V The Blues Shuttle I–IV–ii–V The Pop Standard i–iv–v Minor Three-Chord I–IV–V The Three-Chord Progression i–iv–v–i The Natural Minor Cadence I–IV–V–I The Classic Cadence I–IV–V–IV The Anthem Bounce I–IV–V–IV The Blues Rock Loop I–IV–V–IV–V–I The Double Cadence I–IV–V–vi The Major-to-Minor Turn I–IV–vi–V The Hopeful Turn i–V The Minor Tension I–V The Tonic-Dominant Shift i–v–♭VI–♭VII The Aeolian Ascent i–V–♭VI–IV The Minor Pop Cycle I–V–I The Simple Cadence I–V–IV The Rock Backbone I–V–IV–V The Rocking Loop I–V–vi The Bittersweet Drop I–V–vi–IV The Pop Progression I–V–vi–IV–I The Extended Pop Cycle I–V–vi–IV–I–V The Extended Pop Anthem I–vi–ii–V The '50s Turnaround I–vi–IV–V The 50s Progression I–vi–V The Doo-Wop Core I+–IV Augmented Tonic Approach I+7–IV Augmented Seventh to Subdominant I5–IV5–V5 Power Chord Classic Iadd9–IVadd9 Shimmering Add9 Vamp Iadd9–V Add9 Tonic to Dominant Isus4–I Tonic Suspension Resolution IV–I The Plagal Motion IV–I–V–vi The Rotated Pop Hit IV–V The Pre-Cadence Lift V–I The Authentic Cadence V–IV–I The Blues Turnaround V–IV–I The Rock Cadence V7–I The Authentic Cadence vi–IV–I–V The Axis Rotation vi–IV–V–I The Dramatic Resolve vi–V–IV–V The Minor Descent Lift Vsus2–V–I Suspended Second Cadence Vsus4–V–I Suspended Fourth Cadence

Jazz

#iv°7–V Chromatic Diminished Approach ♭II–I Tritone Substitution Resolution ♭VII–V–I Backdoor Resolution I–♭II–I Neapolitan Slide I–♭VII–♭VI–♭V Chromatic Descent I–ii–iii–IV–V Ascending Diatonic Scale I–II–IV–iii Lydian Approach i–ii–V The Minor ii-V I–ii–V–I Simple Jazz Cadence I–iii–IV–iv–V–I The Chromatic Walkdown I–iii–vi–V The Mediant Turnaround i–imaj7–i7–iv The Chromatic Line Cliché I–IV–♭VII–I Mixolydian Vamp I–IV–iii–vi–ii–V–I Full Diatonic Walkdown I–V–vi–ii The Descending Fifths I–vi–ii–V–I Full Turnaround Cycle I–vi–ii–V–iii–vi The Extended Jazz Cycle I–vi–IV–ii The Descending Thirds Turnaround I–vi–IV–ii–V Extended Doo-Wop Turnaround I+–IV Augmented Tonic Approach I+7–IV Augmented Seventh to Subdominant I6–ii–V Major Sixth Turnaround i6–iv Minor Sixth Tonic Movement I6–IV–V Major Sixth Tonic Progression I6/9–IVmaj7 Bossa Nova Vamp ii–♭II–I Tritone Sub Cadence ii–V–I The Jazz Turnaround ii–V–I–IV Resolution to Subdominant ii–V–I–vi Extended Turnaround ii–V–iii–vi Back-Cycling Resolution ii–V–IV–I Plagal Detour Resolution ii–V–vi Deceptive ii-V Resolution ii–V7–I The Jazz Cadence ii°–V Minor Key Pre-Dominant ii7–V7–Imaj7 Major ii-V-I with Seventh Chords ii7–V9–I Extended Jazz Cadence iii–♭III–ii–♭II–I Chromatic Walkdown to Tonic iii–vi–ii–V Circle of Fifths Descent iii7–vi7–ii7–V7 Circle of Fifths with Sevenths iiø7–V7–i Minor Jazz Cadence Imaj7–ii–V Jazz Turnaround Setup Imaj7–IVmaj7 Jazz Tonic–Subdominant Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 Jazz Standard Turnaround with Sevenths Imaj9–ii7 Ninth-Chord Jazz Setup Imaj9–IVmaj9 Lush Ninth Vamp IVmaj7–iii7–ii7–V7 Descending Diatonic Sevenths V–IV–I–vi Reverse Turnaround V+–I Augmented Dominant Resolution V+7–I Augmented Seventh Resolution v6–I Minor Sixth Dominant Approach V7–I The Authentic Cadence V9–I Dominant Ninth Resolution vii°–I Leading-Tone Diminished Resolution vii°7–I Diminished Seventh Resolution viiø7–I Half-Diminished Leading Tone

Classical

#iv°7–V Chromatic Diminished Approach ♭VI–V–I The Chromatic Approach i–♭VII–♭VI–V The Andalusian Cadence i–♭VI–V The Minor Pivot i–♭VII–♭VI–V–i The Full Andalusian Cadence I–ii–iii–IV–V–I The Scalar Ascent I–iii–vi–ii–V–I Descending Thirds to Cadence i–imaj7–i7–iv The Chromatic Line Cliché I–IV–ii–V–I Subdominant Approach Cadence i–iv–v–i The Natural Minor Cadence I–IV–V–I The Classic Cadence I–IV–V–iii–vi Classical Sequence with Deception I–IV–vii–iii–vi–ii–V–I Complete Circle of Fifths i–V The Minor Tension I–V–I–IV–V–I Baroque Period Structure I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V Pachelbel's Canon I–V–vi–IV–V Classical Sentence with Half Cadence I–vi–IV–V–I Classical Turnaround I+–IV Augmented Tonic Approach i6–iv Minor Sixth Tonic Movement ii–V7–I The Jazz Cadence ii°–V Minor Key Pre-Dominant iiø7–V7–i Minor Jazz Cadence IV–I–V–I The Plagal-Authentic Pair IV–iv–I Minor Plagal Cadence IV–V–I Classical Cadential Progression IV–V–vi Minor Deceptive Cadence V–vi–IV–V Evaded Cadence Sequence V+–I Augmented Dominant Resolution V+7–I Augmented Seventh Resolution V7–I The Authentic Cadence vi–ii–V–I Circle Progression from vi vi–V–IV–III Andalusian Cadence vii°–I Leading-Tone Diminished Resolution vii°7–I Diminished Seventh Resolution viiø7–I Half-Diminished Leading Tone Vsus4–V–I Suspended Fourth Cadence

Folk & Country

i–♭III–iv The Minor Sway i–♭VII–i The Minor Neighbor I–I–IV–V The Country Verse I–ii–IV The Folk Climb I–ii–V The Country Bridge i–iv–♭VII The Minor Drift I–IV–I The Folk Drone I–IV–IV–I The Hymn Frame I–IV–V The Three-Chord Progression i–iv–v–i The Natural Minor Cadence I–IV–V–I The Classic Cadence I–IV–V–I–V The Open-Ended Cadence I–IV–vi–V–iii–vi The Extended Pop Weave I–V–I–IV The Country Shuffle I–V–I–V The Campfire Bounce I–V–IV–I The Folk Circle I–V–vi–V The Folk Ballad Isus4–I Tonic Suspension Resolution V–IV–I–V The Country Walkdown

Modal & Alternative

♭VI–♭VII–I The Mario Cadence ♭VII–IV–I The Double Plagal I–♭VII–IV The Mixolydian Vamp I–♭II–♭VII–I The Phrygian Detour i–♭III–♭VII The Natural Minor Climb i–♭III–♭VII–IV The Dorian Modal Loop I–♭III–♭VII–IV The Modal Rock Loop i–♭III–IV The Dorian Rise i–♭VI–♭VII–i The Minor Orbit i–♭VII The Aeolian Shuttle I–♭VII The Mixolydian Shuttle i–♭VII–♭VI The Andalusian Fragment I–♭VII–♭VI The Major Descent i–♭VII–IV The Dorian Descent i–v–♭VI–♭VII The Aeolian Ascent

Metal & Punk

i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII The Metal Cycle i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII–iv–V The Epic Minor Journey i–♭VI–♭VII Minor Escape i–♭VI–♭VII–♭III The Power Minor Loop I–♭VI–♭VII–I The Power Rock Return I–♭VI–♭VII–IV The Punk Borrower i–♭VI–♭VII–V The Minor Climber i–♭VI–iv–V The Gothic Minor i–♭VI–IV–V The Metal Resolve i–♭VII–♭VI–♭V The Chromatic Descent i–iv–v Minor Three-Chord i–iv–v–i The Natural Minor Cadence I5–IV5–V5 Power Chord Classic

Funk & R&B

ii7–V9–I Extended Jazz Cadence V9–I Dominant Ninth Resolution

Gospel & Soul

IV–I–V–I The Plagal-Authentic Pair

Country

I–I–IV–V The Country Verse I–ii–IV The Folk Climb I–ii–V The Country Bridge I–IV–I The Folk Drone I–IV–IV–I The Hymn Frame I–IV–V The Three-Chord Progression I–IV–V–I–V The Open-Ended Cadence I–IV–V–IV–V–I The Double Cadence I–V–I–IV The Country Shuffle I–V–I–V The Campfire Bounce I–V–IV–I The Folk Circle I–V–vi–V The Folk Ballad V–IV–I–V The Country Walkdown

Latin & Bossa Nova

i–♭VII–♭VI–V–i The Full Andalusian Cadence

Related References

Chord Reference Scale Reference Key Signatures Interval Reference Theory Hub