I–IV–V chord progression
The three-chord progression. In G major it's G – C – D – G. Press play, then pick any key from the menu.
In G major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- IG
- IVC
- VD
- IG
Why it works
These are the three major chords of a major key, and between them they contain every note of the scale. G is home, C steps away with a relaxed, open sound, and D builds tension because it holds the leading tone, the note a half step below home. D back to G is the strongest resolution in Western music. That's why three chords are enough for folk, country, early rock and roll and the blues.
The sound in one line: plain, strong, singable.
What moves at each change
The bass line in G major is G – C – D – G. On piano, keep your hand in one place by choosing inversions:
- I → IV: G to C: play C in 2nd inversion (G–C–E) and G stays under the same finger, while B moves up to C and D up to E.
- IV → V: C to D: play D in root position (D–F♯–A), while C moves up to D, E up to F♯ and G up to A.
- V → I: D to G: play G in 2nd inversion (D–G–B) and D stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to G and A up to B.
I–IV–V in all 12 keys
Same 4-chord pattern, twelve keys. Tap a row to hear it there.
| Key | Chords | |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C – F – G – C | |
| G major | G – C – D – G | |
| D major | D – G – A – D | |
| A major | A – D – E – A | |
| E major | E – A – B – E | |
| B major | B – E – F♯ – B | |
| F♯ major | F♯ – B – C♯ – F♯ | |
| D♭ major | D♭ – G♭ – A♭ – D♭ | |
| A♭ major | A♭ – D♭ – E♭ – A♭ | |
| E♭ major | E♭ – A♭ – B♭ – E♭ | |
| B♭ major | B♭ – E♭ – F – B♭ | |
| F major | F – B♭ – C – F |
On guitar
The friendliest keys for I–IV–V on guitar are G major and D major, where every chord is an open shape.
G major: G – C – D – G
D major: D – G – A – D
A capo lets you keep these easy shapes in any key. Capo chart.
Ways to vary it
- Make the V a dominant seventh (V7) for a stronger pull home.
- Play it as I–IV–I–V to give the listener a rest on home before the tension.
- Turn every chord into a seventh and stretch it over twelve bars and you have the 12-bar blues.
Related progressions
Build your own progression and share it as a link
I–IV–V: questions
What is the I–IV–V chord progression?
The three-chord progression: the chords on degrees 1, 4, 5, 1 of a major key. In G major that's G – C – D – G.
Why does I–IV–V sound good?
These are the three major chords of a major key, and between them they contain every note of the scale. G is home, C steps away with a relaxed, open sound, and D builds tension because it holds the leading tone, the note a half step below home.
How do I play I–IV–V in G?
G – C – D – G. Every one of those has an open shape on guitar.
How do I change I–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–IV–V called?
"1 4 5". Musicians also call it the three-chord progression.
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.