I–vi–IV–V: the “1 6 4 5” chord progression
I–vi–IV–V (said “one, six, four, five”) is a four-chord progression that goes home, sad, open, tense and back: in C major, C, Am, F, G. It is called the fifties or doo-wop progression after the ballads it carried, and it is the same four chords as I–V–vi–IV in a different order.
Hear it in any key, in five styles
- IC
- viAm
- IVF
- VG
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, Am, F, G, one bar each. The link in the address bar keeps your key and style.
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Pick up where you left off
Carry on with Unit 1; chords and progressions come in Unit 4: Harmony.
How it works
Each chord leads to the next. I to vi is home to its minor shadow (they share two notes, C and E); vi to IV drops the bass a third; IV to V climbs a step; and V pulls back to I to start again. Ending on V is what keeps the loop turning: the last bar is a question the first bar answers.
It is the I–V–vi–IV set in a new order, so the two sound related but not the same. Here V comes last, right before home, which makes the turnaround stronger and the mood more innocent. Swap IV for ii (C, Am, Dm, G) and you get the jazz version, close kin to the ii–V–I.
In the fifties it sat under slow ballads with piano triplets on top. The styles below move it into pop, house, lo-fi, trap and reggaeton; listen for the bass climbing from F to G at the end of each pass.
I–vi–IV–V 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 | vi | IV | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major (Am) | C | Am | F | G |
| G major (Em) | G | Em | C | D |
| D major (Bm) | D | Bm | G | A |
| A major (F#m) | A | F#m | D | E |
| E major (C#m) | E | C#m | A | B |
| B major (G#m) | B | G#m | E | F# |
| F# major (D#m) | F# | D#m | B | C# |
| Db major (Bbm) | Db | Bbm | Gb | Ab |
| Ab major (Fm) | Ab | Fm | Db | Eb |
| Eb major (Cm) | Eb | Cm | Ab | Bb |
| Bb major (Gm) | Bb | Gm | Eb | F |
| F major (Dm) | F | Dm | Bb | C |
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.
- Stand by Me, Ben E. King
- Earth Angel, The Penguins
- Duke of Earl, Gene Chandler
- Every Breath You Take, The Police
- Last Kiss, J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
Common in doo-wop, 1950s and 60s pop, rock, soul and pop ballads.
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 |