Progression · 4 chords

I–IV–V–I progression

The I–IV–V–I progression goes from the home chord to the chords built on the fourth and fifth notes of the scale, then home again. It is the backbone of rock and roll, country and folk, and the same three chords make up a 12-bar blues. In C it is C · F · G · C.

Numerals

I–IV–V–I

Chords

Major · Major · Major · Major

Listen for

IV second

How it sounds

Home, lift, pull, home. The IV chord lifts away from home without much tension; the V chord leans hard back toward I, so the return sounds like a door closing.

How to pick it out

The second chord rises to a bright major chord, and the third chord climbs one step higher before it falls home. Every chord is major.

Songs that use it

La Bamba, Twist and Shout and Wild Thing loop these three chords. Slow them down and spread them over twelve bars and you have the blues.

On the guitar

Easiest in A: A · D · E · A, all open chords.

I–IV–V–I in every key

What’s inside

• Major chords: I, IV, V

This progression is one of the answers in the game’s “Which progression?” round. Every answer starts on I, so listen to where the second chord goes.