Chord progressions in C major

Which chords belong together in C major, and what is built from them: the seven diatonic chords and 13 common progressions, each written out.

The chords of C major

Almost every song in this key is built from these seven. The roman numeral says which degree of the scale the chord stands on — upper case for major, lower case for minor.

Degree	Chord	Type
I	C	major
ii	Dm	minor
iii	Em	minor
IV	F	major
V	G	major
vi	Am	minor
vii°	Bdim	diminished

13 progressions in C major

I–V–vi–IVC – G – Am – FThe four chords vi–IV–I–VAm – F – C – GThe same four, starting minor I–vi–IV–VC – Am – F – GThe fifties progression ii–V–IDm7 – G7 – Cmaj7The jazz cadence I–IV–VC – F – GThe three primary chords I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–VC7 – F7 – C7 – G7 – F7 – C7 – G7The twelve-bar blues I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–VC – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – GThe Pachelbel canon I–vi–ii–VCmaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7The turnaround I–♭VII–IVC – Bb – FThe Mixolydian turn I–iii–IV–VC – Em – F – GThe rising progression I–IV–I–VC – F – C – GThe alternating progression vi–V–IV–VAm – G – F – GThe lamenting progression I–V–IV–VC – G – F – GThe rock loop

Neighbouring keys

G majorF# majorA minor

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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.