I6–IV–V

The I6–IV–V progression substitutes the plain major tonic with a major sixth chord, adding warmth and a touch of jazz sophistication to the classic tonic-subdominant-dominant movement. The sixth chord was the standard way to voice the tonic in the swing era, and this progression captures the easygoing, confident sound of classic American popular music.

Pattern: I6 – IV – V   Example in C Major: C6 – F – G

Genre: jazz, swing, pop, standards   Difficulty: beginner

Choose a Key

C Major C6 – F – G G Major G6 – C – D D Major D6 – G – A A Major A6 – D – E E Major E6 – A – B B Major B6 – E – F♯ F♯ Major F♯6 – B – C♯ F Major F6 – B♭ – C B♭ Major B♭6 – E♭ – F E♭ Major E♭6 – A♭ – B♭ A♭ Major A♭6 – D♭ – E♭ D♭ Major D♭6 – G♭ – A♭

Song Examples

Related Progressions

I–IV–V I6–ii–V I–IV–V–I