I–V

The I–V progression moves from tonic to dominant, creating a sense of tension and expectation. It is the simplest way to establish tonal motion and is found in virtually every genre.

Pattern: I – V   Example in C Major: C – G

Genre: pop, rock   Difficulty: beginner

Choose a Key

C Major C – G G Major G – D D Major D – A A Major A – E E Major E – B B Major B – F♯ F♯ Major F♯ – C♯ F Major F – C B♭ Major B♭ – F E♭ Major E♭ – B♭ A♭ Major A♭ – E♭ D♭ Major D♭ – A♭

Song Examples