Progression · I–ii–iii–IV–V

I–ii–iii–IV–V Progression

8 songs from the corpus share this chord-degree set — open one to see and hear the real chords on an interactive fretboard.

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What I–ii–iii–IV–V means

Every song below plays chords built on these scale degrees: I = degree 1, ii = degree 2 (minor), iii = degree 3 (minor), IV = degree 4, V = degree 5 — relative to whatever key that song is actually in. The degrees are the same; the real chords are different in every key, which is exactly why the same progression can sound totally different from one song to the next.

Hear it in C major

One real voicing for each degree, in a key real songs in this set are actually written in — tap any diagram to hear it strummed.

8 songs built on I–ii–iii–IV–V

ChicagoOld DaysC major: C - Dm7 - Em - F - G Elvis PresleyMy WayC major: C - Dm - Em - F - G7 Elvis PresleyThere Goes My EverythingAb major: Ab - Bbm - Cm - Db - Eb7 Eric ClaptonPromisesG major: G - Am7 - Bm - C - D Etta JamesWould It Make Any Difference To YouAb major: Ab - Bbm - Cm - Db - Eb Pat BenatarLittle Too LateE major: E - F#m7 - G#m7 - A - B Prince & Sheena EastonThe Arms Of OrionD major: D - Em7 - F#m - G - A Psychedelic FursPretty In PinkD major: D - Em - F#m - G - A

Closely related progressions

I–ii–iii–IV–V–vi22 songs I–ii–IV–V19 songs I–II–ii–iii–IV–V4 songs I–ii–iii–IV3 songs
🎭 Character: iii is the least commonly leaned-on diatonic chord — it shares two notes with both I and V, which makes it sound more like a passing color than a destination. The ii chord is the classic predominant — it sets up V the way IV does, but with a softer, more minor-key lean on the way there. V (the dominant) has the strongest pull back to I of any diatonic chord — its own third is the key's leading tone, the single note that wants most to resolve upward.
🔄 Inversions: An inversion is the same chord with a different note in the bass — first inversion puts the 3rd on the bottom, second inversion the 5th. Try playing any chord above with its 3rd or 5th as the lowest note instead of the root: the chord itself doesn't change, but the bass line moves by step instead of jumping around, which is what makes a progression feel smoother from one chord to the next.

Learn the theory

Music TheoryRoman Numeral Analysis Music TheoryCommon Progressions by Genre

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