Progression · I–IV–V–vi–bVII

I–IV–V–vi–bVII Progression

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

RockPopFolk RockHard RockIntermediateAdvanced

What I–IV–V–vi–bVII means

Every song below plays chords built on these scale degrees: I = degree 1, IV = degree 4, V = degree 5, vi = degree 6 (minor), bVII = degree 7 — 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 Ab 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–IV–V–vi–bVII

Bob SegerNight MovesAb major: Ab - Db - Eb - Fm - Gb Cheap TrickI Want You To Want MeA major: A - D - E - F#m - G ChicagoAlive AgainBb major: Bb - Eb - F - Gm7 - Ab Crosby, Stills & NashGot It MadeC major: C - F - G - Am7 - Bb Elton JohnThe Bitch Is BackAb major: Ab - Db - Eb - Fm - Gb HeartWho Will You Run ToA major: A - D - E - F#m - G The CommodoresThree Times A LadyAb major: Ab - Db - Eb - Fm - Gb The Everly BrothersThat's Old Fashioned (That's The Way Love Should Be)G major: G - C - D - Em - F

Closely related progressions

I–IV–V–vi38 songs I–ii–IV–V–vi–bVII8 songs I–IV–V–bVII7 songs I–II–IV–V–vi–bVII4 songs
🎭 Character: bVII is borrowed from the parallel minor (or heard as a Mixolydian bVII) — it's the chord most responsible for a rock or folk-rock color instead of a classical, strictly-major one. vi shares two notes with I and is one of the most common substitutions in tonal harmony — swapped in for I, it gives a softer, more wistful landing instead of a full resolution. 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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