I
Major tonic
The strongest home chord.
Major chord progressions
Build major-key progressions from function, not memorized chord lists.
Start from the diatonic chords of a major key, then hear how tonic, predominant and dominant functions create reusable progressions in every key.
major chord progressionsmajor key chord progressionsmajor chord progression guitardiatonic chord progressionsI IV V progression
Diatonic map
Know the seven chords before choosing a pattern.
A major key gives you a predictable family of diatonic chords. Roman numerals let the same progression move to any key.
ii
Minor predominant
Often prepares V.
iii
Minor color
Useful for smoother bass motion and substitutions.
IV
Major predominant
Moves naturally toward V or back to I.
V
Major / dominant
Creates the strongest pull toward I.
vi
Relative minor
Common tonic-family alternative.
vii°
Leading-tone diminished
Creates tension toward I.
Common patterns
Use a small number of functional paths in many songs.
The chord names change with the key, but the Roman-numeral relationships remain the same.
I–IV–V
Foundation
Clear tonic–predominant–dominant motion.
I–V–vi–IV
Modern loop
A widely used four-chord cycle.
I–vi–IV–V
Classic loop
Tonic to relative minor, then predominant and dominant.
I–vi–ii–V
Cycle motion
A strong functional path toward tonic.
Transpose
Move the same progression to any key.
Think in degrees first, then map each degree to chord names in the target key.
C major
C–F–G
I–IV–V in C.
G major
G–C–D
The same function in G.
D major
D–G–A
The same function in D.
FAQ
Quick answers about major chord progressions.
Use these answers as a reference, then explore the relationships interactively.
What is a major chord progression?
It is a sequence of chords drawn from or centered on a major key, often described with Roman numerals so the same functional pattern can be transposed.
What are the most common major-key progressions?
I–IV–V, I–V–vi–IV, I–vi–IV–V and I–vi–ii–V are useful starting points.
Why use Roman numerals?
Roman numerals describe chord function independently of key, making transposition and harmonic comparison easier.
ChordRevelation
Move from explanation to interactive harmony.
Change the key, compare voicings, follow voice leading and see the same idea directly on the fretboard.