Chord Progression Chart
A chord progression chart lists every chord that belongs to a key. Pick a key above and the chart spells all seven diatonic chords — I through vii° — with their notes, harmonic function, guitar and piano diagrams, and sound. The progression library below transposes itself into your key automatically: the same Roman numerals, re-spelled.
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Guitar — chord tones (frets 0–5)
Dots mark every place a chord tone sits in the first five frets on standard tuning. Gold = root. Tap the piano keys to hear single notes.
Piano
Gold = root. The diagram follows the exact voicing the audio plays.
Common progressions in C — auto-transposed
Build your own progression
Pick up to four scale degrees. The tool spells them in the current key — change the key and your progression transposes instantly.
The complete chart: diatonic chords in all 12 major keys
Every row follows the same quality pattern — major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. Read a column to transpose any progression: the V column, for instance, is the dominant chord of each key.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | I C | ii Dm | iii Em | IV F | V G | vi Am | vii° B° |
| G | I G | ii Am | iii Bm | IV C | V D | vi Em | vii° F♯° |
| D | I D | ii Em | iii F♯m | IV G | V A | vi Bm | vii° C♯° |
| A | I A | ii Bm | iii C♯m | IV D | V E | vi F♯m | vii° G♯° |
| E | I E | ii F♯m | iii G♯m | IV A | V B | vi C♯m | vii° D♯° |
| B | I B | ii C♯m | iii D♯m | IV E | V F♯ | vi G♯m | vii° A♯° |
| F♯ | I F♯ | ii G♯m | iii A♯m | IV B | V C♯ | vi D♯m | vii° E♯° |
| D♭ | I D♭ | ii E♭m | iii Fm | IV G♭ | V A♭ | vi B♭m | vii° C° |
| A♭ | I A♭ | ii B♭m | iii Cm | IV D♭ | V E♭ | vi Fm | vii° G° |
| E♭ | I E♭ | ii Fm | iii Gm | IV A♭ | V B♭ | vi Cm | vii° D° |
| B♭ | I B♭ | ii Cm | iii Dm | IV E♭ | V F | vi Gm | vii° A° |
| F | I F | ii Gm | iii Am | IV B♭ | V C | vi Dm | vii° E° |
Diatonic chords in all 12 minor keys
Natural minor pattern: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major (i–ii°–III–iv–v–VI–VII). The v column is the diatonic minor dominant; songs very often borrow the major V from harmonic minor instead (see the FAQ).
| Key | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A minor | i Am | ii° B° | III C | iv Dm | v Em | VI F | VII G |
| E minor | i Em | ii° F♯° | III G | iv Am | v Bm | VI C | VII D |
| B minor | i Bm | ii° C♯° | III D | iv Em | v F♯m | VI G | VII A |
| F♯ minor | i F♯m | ii° G♯° | III A | iv Bm | v C♯m | VI D | VII E |
| C♯ minor | i C♯m | ii° D♯° | III E | iv F♯m | v G♯m | VI A | VII B |
| G♯ minor | i G♯m | ii° A♯° | III B | iv C♯m | v D♯m | VI E | VII F♯ |
| E♭ minor | i E♭m | ii° F° | III G♭ | iv A♭m | v B♭m | VI C♭ | VII D♭ |
| B♭ minor | i B♭m | ii° C° | III D♭ | iv E♭m | v Fm | VI G♭ | VII A♭ |
| F minor | i Fm | ii° G° | III A♭ | iv B♭m | v Cm | VI D♭ | VII E♭ |
| C minor | i Cm | ii° D° | III E♭ | iv Fm | v Gm | VI A♭ | VII B♭ |
| G minor | i Gm | ii° A° | III B♭ | iv Cm | v Dm | VI E♭ | VII F |
| D minor | i Dm | ii° E° | III F | iv Gm | v Am | VI B♭ | VII C |
How to read this chart
Each key contributes seven triads, one per scale degree. Uppercase Roman numerals are major chords (I, IV, V), lowercase are minor (ii, iii, vi), and ° marks diminished (vii°). The numeral tells you which scale degree the chord is built on: V is rooted on the fifth note of the scale. Because the pattern is identical in every key, memorizing the numerals once lets you play in all twelve.
The spelling is strict: every chord uses each scale letter exactly once. That is why F♯ major’s vii° is E♯° (E♯–G♯–B), not F° — the seventh scale degree is some kind of E, so the chord must be spelled from E. Charts that write F° there are misspelled.
Chord functions: why progressions work
Every diatonic chord has one of three harmonic jobs:
- Tonic (I, iii, vi) — home base. Stable, at rest. Progressions start and usually end here.
- Subdominant (ii, IV) — movement away from home. Creates gentle forward motion.
- Dominant (V, vii°) — maximum tension. The V–I resolution is the strongest pull in Western music because the 7th scale degree (the leading tone) sits a semitone below the tonic.
Nearly every progression below is some route through Tonic → Subdominant → Dominant → Tonic. I–V–vi–IV works because it touches all three: I (tonic), V (dominant), vi (tonic), IV (subdominant).
Worked example 1: transposing I–V–vi–IV from C to G
Step 1 — read the numerals in C. C major’s diatonic chords are C–Dm–Em–F–G–Am–B°. I–V–vi–IV is therefore C – G – Am – F. The notes: C = C–E–G, G = G–B–D, Am = A–C–E, F = F–A–C.
Step 2 — get G major’s scale. One sharp (F♯): G–A–B–C–D–E–F♯.
Step 3 — apply the same numerals. I = G (G–B–D), V = D (D–F♯–A), vi = Em (E–G–B), IV = C (C–E–G).
Result: G – D – Em – C. Identical Roman numerals, completely different chords — that is all transposition is. Try it live: pick G above and the I–V–vi–IV row re-spells itself.
Worked example 2: ii–V–I in F major
Step 1 — the scale. F major has one flat (B♭): F–G–A–B♭–C–D–E.
Step 2 — build the three chords. ii = Gm (G–B♭–D), V = C (C–E–G), I = F (F–A–C).
Step 3 — hear the turnaround. Gm – C – F: subdominant (ii) → dominant (V) → tonic (I). This three-chord cell is the engine of jazz — press Play on the ii–V–I row above.
Worked example 3: i–VI–III–VII in A minor, plus the borrowed V
Step 1 — the diatonic minor chords. A minor (no sharps/flats): Am–B°–C–Dm–Em–F–G.
Step 2 — apply the numerals. i = Am (A–C–E), VI = F (F–A–C), III = C (C–E–G), VII = G (G–B–D) → Am – F – C – G.
Step 3 — the Andalusian twist. The flamenco progression i–VII–VI–V in A minor is Am – G – F – E. That final E is major (E–G♯–B), borrowed from harmonic minor — the raised G♯ creates a leading tone that the diatonic Em lacks, so the resolution home bites harder. The chart marks borrowed harmonic-V chords wherever they appear.
Practical tips
- Start and end on the tonic. I (or i) is home; progressions feel finished when they land there.
- Blues coloring. The 12-bar chart is diatonic, but blues players make I, IV and V all dominant 7ths (A7–D7–E7 in A). Same skeleton, grittier skin.
- The vi trick. vi shares two notes with I (Am = A–C–E vs C = C–E–G), which is why I–V–vi–IV sounds inevitable rather than random.
- Capo math. Need I–V–vi–IV in A but only know G shapes? Play G–D–Em–C with a capo on fret 2 — the chart confirms G–D–Em–C is exactly I–V–vi–IV in G.
- Melody from chord tones. Stuck on a melody? The notes of the current chord are always safe; the other scale notes add passing color.
- Minor-key V. Writing in minor and the v–i ending feels weak? Borrow the harmonic major V (one semitone raise on the key’s 7th degree) — the oldest trick in the book.
Frequently asked questions
What is a chord progression chart?
A chord progression chart lists the chords that belong to each musical key. In every major key the seven diatonic triads follow the same pattern — major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished — so a Roman-numeral progression like I–V–vi–IV can be translated into real chords simply by reading your key's row. The interactive chart above does that translation for all 24 major and minor keys, and the progression library transposes itself automatically when you change key.
What are diatonic chords?
Diatonic chords are built using only the seven notes of a key's scale — no outside notes. Stack every other scale note into triads and you always get the same quality pattern: in major, I ii iii IV V vi vii° (major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished); in natural minor, i ii° III iv v VI VII. Because the pattern is fixed, learning the Roman numerals once lets you play in any key.
What do the Roman numerals mean?
Uppercase numerals are major chords (I, IV, V), lowercase are minor (ii, iii, vi), and ° marks diminished chords (vii°). The numeral is the scale degree the chord is built on: V is the chord rooted on the fifth note of the scale. In minor keys the convention is i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII.
What are the chords in the key of G major?
G major has one sharp (F♯). Its diatonic chords are G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F♯° (I–ii–iii–IV–V–vi–vii°). So the famous I–V–vi–IV progression in G is G–D–Em–C.
What are the chords in A minor?
A minor has no sharps or flats. Its diatonic chords are Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F, G (i–ii°–III–iv–v–VI–VII). A classic minor progression, i–VI–III–VII, is therefore Am–F–C–G.
What is the most common chord progression in pop music?
I–V–vi–IV — the “sensitive female chord progression” behind hundreds of hits. In C major it is C–G–Am–F (C: C–E–G; G: G–B–D; Am: A–C–E; F: F–A–C). Change the key selector to G and the same progression becomes G–D–Em–C, spelled automatically.
How do I transpose a chord progression to another key?
Keep the Roman numerals and change the key — the chart does the rest. Worked example: I–V–vi–IV in C major is C–G–Am–F. G major's scale is G–A–B–C–D–E–F♯, so its diatonic triads are I=G, V=D, vi=Em, IV=C, giving G–D–Em–C. Same numerals, new chords: that is all transposition is.
What is the 12-bar blues progression?
Twelve bars: four of I, two of IV, two of I, then V–IV–I–V. In A that is A – A – A – A – D – D – A – A – E – D – A – E. Blues players usually turn each chord into a dominant 7th (A7–D7–E7 in A) — a deliberate color outside the strict diatonic chart.
Why is the V chord sometimes major in a minor key?
Strictly diatonic natural minor has a minor v (Em in A minor: E–G–B). But songs in minor constantly borrow the major V from harmonic minor — in A minor that is E major (E–G♯–B), with a raised G♯ that pulls hard back to Am. The Andalusian progression i–VII–VI–V in A minor is Am–G–F–E, using exactly that borrowed major V. The chart flags it whenever it appears.
What do tonic, subdominant and dominant mean?
They are the three harmonic jobs. Tonic chords (I, iii, vi — home base) feel at rest; dominant chords (V, vii° — maximum tension) demand resolution back to tonic; subdominant chords (ii, IV) sit in between and move the music forward. Nearly every progression is a journey Tonic → Subdominant → Dominant → Tonic.
Should I use triads or seventh chords?
Triads are the foundation; sevenths add color. Flip the “seventh chords” toggle and every degree gains its diatonic seventh: in C major, Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bø7. Jazz lives on ii7–V7–Imaj7; pop usually stays with triads.
Where can I look up one single chord, or analyze a chord symbol?
This page works at key level — every chord in a key at once. For one chord at a time with keyboard diagrams and voicings, use the Piano Chord Finder; to type a chord symbol (Cmaj7, D7♯9…) and get its notes, intervals, frequencies and guitar voicings, use Chord Lab.
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