Guide · Guitar theory
Why I–V–vi–IV works: the four-chord song
I–V–vi–IV is the four-chord progression behind a huge number of pop songs. In C major it is C, G, Am and F; in G major it is G, D, Em and C. It uses the key's three major chords and its The major and minor keys that share all seven notes and the same key signature, such as C major and A minor., all neighbours on the All twelve keys arranged in a circle, each a 5th above the last. Neighbouring keys differ by one sharp or flat..
The chords in every common guitar key
It is easiest in the open-chord keys: in G and C it needs no A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. at all.
The pop axis
I – V – vi – IV
- G
- D
- Em
- C
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
G major: G – D – Em – C. C major: C – G – Am – F. D major: D – A – Bm – G. A major: A – E – F♯m – D. E major: E – B – C♯m – A.
G and C are the friendliest: all four chords are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. In D and A the vi chord (Bm or F♯m) is usually a barre chord, and in E both the V and the vi (B and C♯m) are, so many players put a A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on and use the G or C shapes instead.
Why it works
It moves from home to the strongest pull away and back, with the The major and minor keys that share all seven notes and the same key signature, such as C major and A minor. and the IV chord softening the trip.
I is home. V is the chord that most wants to return home, so going there straight away sets up tension. vi is the relative minor, close enough to I to feel related but darker, and IV is the gentle, A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em. that leads back to the start.
On the circle of fifths all four sit in one small window around the key, so every move is between neighbours. That is why the loop can repeat for a whole song without wearing out.
Four bars, one chord per bar, is the usual shape. The loop has no real ending, which is part of its pull: the IV leads naturally back to I and round again.
Start it somewhere else
Start the same four chords on vi and you get vi–IV–I–V, the moodier version; move the V to the end and you get the 1950s doo-wop progression.
In C, vi–IV–I–V is Am, F, C and G. The chords are the same, but starting on the minor chord makes the song feel like it is in a minor key. Many ballads use this version for the verse and the original for the chorus.
I–vi–IV–V, C, Am, F and G in C, is the doo-wop progression, heard in Stand by Me and Every Breath You Take. It is the same four chords in a different order, and it ends on V, which pulls you straight back to the start.
Songs that use it
You will hear it in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You, and in hundreds of other songs across rock, pop and country.
Once you know the sound, you will start to hear it everywhere: on the radio, in films, in adverts. Recognising it by ear is one of the quickest ways to play along with songs you have never seen written down.
Try it now: play the four chords, one bar each, and sing any of those songs over them. If the song is in a different key from the recording, the transposing guide shows how to move it.
How to practise it
Play it with a simple down-down-up-up-down-up strum, changing chord on each bar, until the changes are smooth.
In G major the hardest move is from Em to C. Keep your second finger close to the strings as you change, and the switch gets quicker.
When it feels easy, move it to another key, add a seventh to the V chord (D7 in G), or swap the strum for picking each string. The page for each key plays the progression so you can hear it before you try.