I–iii–IV–V

The rising progression — bright and climbing, like a run-up.

Degrees: I–iii–IV–V
Mode: major
Bars: 4
In C major: C – Em – F – G

The progression in C major

In all twelve keys

The same degrees, shifted twelve times. To move a song into another key, read off the row.

Key	I	iii	IV	V
C major	C	Em	F	G
G major	G	Bm	C	D
D major	D	F#m	G	A
A major	A	C#m	D	E
E major	E	G#m	A	B
B major	B	D#m	E	F#
F major	F	Am	Bb	C
Bb major	Bb	Dm	Eb	F
Eb major	Eb	Gm	Ab	Bb
Ab major	Ab	Cm	Db	Eb
Db major	Db	Fm	Gb	Ab
F# major	F#	A#m	B	C#

Why it sounds that way

The roots climb through the scale: first, third, fourth, fifth degree. The minor chord on the third sits like a step between tonic and subdominant — it shares two notes with each of them.

Where you hear it

Blue Suede Shoes
Crocodile Rock — Elton John
Build Me Up Buttercup

Related progressions

I–vi–IV–VThe fifties progression I–V–vi–IVThe four chords

Anotona does this for you

Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.

See Anotona

Every note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.