Common chord progressions in major and minor
These progressions show up everywhere because they balance stability and motion. Click any “Open in app” button to load the example into Chord Progressor and hear the chords.
Major key staples
I – V – vi – IV (“pop‑punk progression”)
In C major: C → G → Am → F. A strong tonic start, bright dominant, emotional relative minor, then a warm subdominant.
I – vi – IV – V (“50s progression”)
In C major: C → Am → F → G. Classic doo‑wop cadence with a smooth step to vi.
ii – V – I (the jazz cadence)
In C major: Dm → G → C. The ii chord sets up V, and V resolves home to I.
vi – IV – I – V (axis variant)
In C major: Am → F → C → G. Starts on vi for a minor‑first feel.
Minor key staples
i – VI – III – VII (minor “axis”)
In A minor: Am → F → C → G. Big, cinematic motion while staying diatonic to natural minor.
i – iv – V (minor cadence)
In A minor: Am → Dm → Em. A simple loop that feels bluesy and direct.
Andalusian cadence: i – VII – VI – V
In A minor: Am → G → F → E. A descending line with a dramatic dominant at the end.
Try borrowing color
Once a progression is working, experiment with modal mixture or a short pivot. For example, in C major you can borrow iv (Fm) or bVII (Bb) from the parallel minor for contrast.