I–IV–V

The three primary chords — firm and unambiguous — these three will accompany almost any folk song.

Degrees: I–IV–V
Mode: major
Bars: 3
In C major: C – 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	IV	V
C major	C	F	G
G major	G	C	D
D major	D	G	A
A major	A	D	E
E major	E	A	B
B major	B	E	F#
F major	F	Bb	C
Bb major	Bb	Eb	F
Eb major	Eb	Ab	Bb
Ab major	Ab	Db	Eb
Db major	Db	Gb	Ab
F# major	F#	B	C#

Why it sounds that way

Tonic, subdominant and dominant together contain all seven notes of the scale, each exactly once. That is why at least one of the three fits every note of a melody.

Where you hear it

Twist and Shout — The Beatles
La Bamba — Ritchie Valens
Wild Thing — The Troggs

Related progressions

I–V–vi–IVThe four chords I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–VThe twelve-bar blues

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.