I–IV–I–V

The alternating progression — plain, danceable, immediately singable.

Degrees: I–IV–I–V
Mode: major
Bars: 4
In C major: C – F – C – 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	IV	I	V
C major	C	F	C	G
G major	G	C	G	D
D major	D	G	D	A
A major	A	D	A	E
E major	E	A	E	B
B major	B	E	B	F#
F major	F	Bb	F	C
Bb major	Bb	Eb	Bb	F
Eb major	Eb	Ab	Eb	Bb
Ab major	Ab	Db	Ab	Eb
Db major	Db	Gb	Db	Ab
F# major	F#	B	F#	C#

Why it sounds that way

The tonic appears twice and holds the progression together, with subdominant and dominant alternating as counterweight. This back and forth is the pattern of nearly every folk and children's song — it needs no preparation to follow.

Where you hear it

Happy Birthday
Oh When the Saints
Jingle Bells

Related progressions

I–IV–VThe three primary chords I–vi–IV–VThe fifties progression

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.