I–V–vi–IV: the “1 5 6 4” chord progression
I–V–vi–IV (said “one, five, six, four”) is a four-chord progression that runs home chord, bright chord, sad chord, open chord: in C major, C, G, Am, F. It is the most common progression in pop, and the one the “same four chords” medleys are about.
Hear it in any key, in five styles
- IC
- VG
- viAm
- IVF
Pick a key and the chord names change; pick a style and the drums, bass rhythm and chord rhythm change while the chords stay the same. The chords are C, G, Am, F, one bar each. The link in the address bar keeps your key and style.
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Mood without music theory. The course’s harmony chapter builds chords, major and minor, keys and colour notes by ear. Unit 1 is free with a Google sign-in.
Pick up where you left off
Carry on with Unit 1; chords and progressions come in Unit 4: Harmony.
How it works
The Roman numerals name each chord by its place in the key, so the pattern stays the same in every key: I is the home chord, V the one that pulls hardest back to it, vi the minor chord that shares two notes with home, IV the chord that opens things up. In G major the same four are G, D, Em and C.
It works because it never settles. V wants to go home but lands on vi instead, a minor shadow of home; IV lifts away again, and then the loop starts over. Four bars of mild tension and release, which is exactly what a verse or chorus needs to keep turning.
The styles below play the same four chords with different drums, bass rhythms and sounds. The notes never change; everything you hear as “genre” is in the pattern around them.
I–V–vi–IV in every key
The numerals stay the same; only the letters change. The relative minor, in brackets, shares the same chords. The highlighted row is the key playing above.
| Key | I | V | vi | IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major (Am) | C | G | Am | F |
| G major (Em) | G | D | Em | C |
| D major (Bm) | D | A | Bm | G |
| A major (F#m) | A | E | F#m | D |
| E major (C#m) | E | B | C#m | A |
| B major (G#m) | B | F# | G#m | E |
| F# major (D#m) | F# | C# | D#m | B |
| Db major (Bbm) | Db | Ab | Bbm | Gb |
| Ab major (Fm) | Ab | Eb | Fm | Db |
| Eb major (Cm) | Eb | Bb | Cm | Ab |
| Bb major (Gm) | Bb | F | Gm | Eb |
| F major (Dm) | F | C | Dm | Bb |
Songs built on it
A few well-known examples, named so you can go and listen for the pattern. Nothing from them is reproduced here; the loop above is Swung’s own.
- Let It Be, The Beatles
- Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey
- With or Without You, U2
- No Woman, No Cry, Bob Marley & The Wailers
- Someone Like You, Adele
Common in pop, rock, country, edm and worship music.
What each style changes
| Style | BPM | Drums, bass and chords |
|---|---|---|
| Pop | 104 | bass: root eighths; chords: piano |
| House | 124 | bass: off-beat; chords: stabs, seventh chords |
| Lo-fi hip hop | 82, 58% swing | bass: with the kick; chords: electric piano, ninth chords |
| Trap | 140 | bass: 808; chords: dark pad |
| Reggaeton | 95 | bass: 3-3-2; chords: pad |