I–iii–IV–V chord progression
The stepwise climb. In E major it's E – G♯m – A – B. Press play, then pick any key from the menu.
In E major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- IE
- iiiG♯m
- IVA
- VB
Why it works
The bass climbs step by step from E up to B, skipping only one note, so the progression sounds like it's rising toward something. The iii chord is the unusual one: it shares two notes with the I, so the first change is soft, and then A and B build to the return. It works well in a pre-chorus, where you want the harmony to lift into a big chorus.
In a few words: rising, hopeful.
What moves at each change
Play just the bass notes and you hear the shape of it: E – G♯ – A – B. On piano, keep your hand in one place by choosing inversions:
- I → iii: E to G♯m: play G♯m in 2nd inversion (D♯–G♯–B) and G♯ and B stay under the same fingers, while E moves down to D♯.
- iii → IV: G♯m to A: play A in root position (A–C♯–E), while G♯ moves up to A, B up to C♯ and D♯ up to E.
- IV → V: A to B: play B in root position (B–D♯–F♯), while A moves up to B, C♯ up to D♯ and E up to F♯.
- V → I (back to the top): B to E: play E in 2nd inversion (B–E–G♯) and B stays under the same finger, while D♯ moves up to E and F♯ up to G♯.
I–iii–IV–V in all 12 keys
Same 4-chord pattern, twelve keys. Tap a row to hear it there.
| Key | Chords | |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C – Em – F – G | |
| G major | G – Bm – C – D | |
| D major | D – F♯m – G – A | |
| A major | A – C♯m – D – E | |
| E major | E – G♯m – A – B | |
| B major | B – D♯m – E – F♯ | |
| F♯ major | F♯ – A♯m – B – C♯ | |
| D♭ major | D♭ – Fm – G♭ – A♭ | |
| A♭ major | A♭ – Cm – D♭ – E♭ | |
| E♭ major | E♭ – Gm – A♭ – B♭ | |
| B♭ major | B♭ – Dm – E♭ – F | |
| F major | F – Am – B♭ – C |
On guitar
The friendliest keys for I–iii–IV–V on guitar are G major and C major; G major still needs one barre chord.
G major: G – Bm – C – D
C major: C – Em – F – G
Somewhere else? A capo moves these shapes up: capo 2 turns G major shapes into the key a whole step higher. Capo chart.
Ways to vary it
- Make the iii a major chord (E in C) for a stronger, more dramatic climb.
- Stop on the V and hold it for two bars before the chorus hits.
- Run it backwards (V–IV–iii–I) for a descending, winding-down phrase.
Related progressions
Build your own progression and share it as a link
I–iii–IV–V: questions
What is the I–iii–IV–V chord progression?
The stepwise climb: the chords on degrees 1, 3, 4, 5 of a major key. In E major that's E – G♯m – A – B.
Why does I–iii–IV–V sound good?
The bass climbs step by step from E up to B, skipping only one note, so the progression sounds like it's rising toward something. The iii chord is the unusual one: it shares two notes with the I, so the first change is soft, and then A and B build to the return.
How do I play I–iii–IV–V in G?
G – Bm – C – D. Every one of those has an open shape on guitar.
How do I change I–iii–IV–V to another key?
Keep the numerals and swap the key: the numbers say which note of the scale each chord is built on. Use the key menu in the player above, or the table of all 12 keys on this page.
What else is I–iii–IV–V called?
"1 3 4 5". Musicians also call it the stepwise climb.
Chords in every key are generated from the scale and checked by the site's theory tests. We describe progressions in general terms and don't transcribe songs. Updated September 2026.