I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V

The Pachelbel canon — stately and unstoppable — eight chords that have been repeating for three hundred years.

Degrees: I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
Mode: major
Bars: 8
In C major: C – G – Am – Em – F – 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	V	vi	iii	IV	I	IV	V
C major	C	G	Am	Em	F	C	F	G
G major	G	D	Em	Bm	C	G	C	D
D major	D	A	Bm	F#m	G	D	G	A
A major	A	E	F#m	C#m	D	A	D	E
E major	E	B	C#m	G#m	A	E	A	B
B major	B	F#	G#m	D#m	E	B	E	F#
F major	F	C	Dm	Am	Bb	F	Bb	C
Bb major	Bb	F	Gm	Dm	Eb	Bb	Eb	F
Eb major	Eb	Bb	Cm	Gm	Ab	Eb	Ab	Bb
Ab major	Ab	Eb	Fm	Cm	Db	Ab	Db	Eb
Db major	Db	Ab	Bbm	Fm	Gb	Db	Gb	Ab
F# major	F#	C#	D#m	A#m	B	F#	B	C#

Why it sounds that way

The roots alternately fall a fourth and rise a second: C–G–Am–Em–F–C–F–G. The zigzag descends overall and still keeps arriving back at the top. Pachelbel left it standing twenty-eight times in a row, and it does not get dull.

Where you hear it

Kanon in D — Johann Pachelbel
Basket Case — Green Day
Go West — Pet Shop Boys

Related progressions

I–V–vi–IVThe four 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.