I–vi–IV–V

The fifties progression — round, old-fashioned, like doo-wop and a slow dance.

Degrees: I–vi–IV–V
Mode: major
Bars: 4
In C major: C – Am – 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	vi	IV	V
C major	C	Am	F	G
G major	G	Em	C	D
D major	D	Bm	G	A
A major	A	F#m	D	E
E major	E	C#m	A	B
B major	B	G#m	E	F#
F major	F	Dm	Bb	C
Bb major	Bb	Gm	Eb	F
Eb major	Eb	Cm	Ab	Bb
Ab major	Ab	Fm	Db	Eb
Db major	Db	Bbm	Gb	Ab
F# major	F#	D#m	B	C#

Why it sounds that way

The four degrees step down in thirds and fourths and end on the dominant, which pulls back to the tonic and closes the circle. That pull is what makes the loop so easy to repeat.

Where you hear it

Stand By Me — Ben E. King
Earth Angel — The Penguins
Every Breath You Take — The Police

Related progressions

I–V–vi–IVThe four chords I–vi–ii–VThe turnaround

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.