Chord progressions in F major

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

The chords of F 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	F	major
ii	Gm	minor
iii	Am	minor
IV	Bb	major
V	C	major
vi	Dm	minor
vii°	Edim	diminished

13 progressions in F major

I–V–vi–IVF – C – Dm – BbThe four chords vi–IV–I–VDm – Bb – F – CThe same four, starting minor I–vi–IV–VF – Dm – Bb – CThe fifties progression ii–V–IGm7 – C7 – Fmaj7The jazz cadence I–IV–VF – Bb – CThe three primary chords I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–VF7 – Bb7 – F7 – C7 – Bb7 – F7 – C7The twelve-bar blues I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–VF – C – Dm – Am – Bb – F – Bb – CThe Pachelbel canon I–vi–ii–VFmaj7 – Dm7 – Gm7 – C7The turnaround I–♭VII–IVF – Eb – BbThe Mixolydian turn I–iii–IV–VF – Am – Bb – CThe rising progression I–IV–I–VF – Bb – F – CThe alternating progression vi–V–IV–VDm – C – Bb – CThe lamenting progression I–V–IV–VF – C – Bb – CThe rock loop

Neighbouring keys

Bb majorB majorD 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.