4. Common Chord Progressions
These roman-numeral patterns account for a huge share of the songs you already know, in every genre:
| Progression | Feel / notes | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| I – V – vi – IV | The most common pop progression by far | Tons of pop/rock songs use exactly this loop |
| vi – IV – I – V | Same 4 chords, starts on the minor — feels more wistful | Common pop variant |
| I – IV – V | The oldest rock/blues/folk progression | Basis of 12-bar blues, early rock & roll |
| ii – V – I | The jazz “turnaround” — very strong pull to I | Jazz standards |
| I – vi – IV – V | Classic 1950s doo-wop loop | ”Doo-wop changes” |
Try it: in C, loop C – G – Am – F a few times (that’s I–V–vi–IV). Then try it in G major using the cheat sheet. Same math, different notes.
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