Browse chord progressions
Browse popular chord progressions and hear vocal melody and guitar lead examples for each one. Save any idea as MIDI.
Popular
- C | G | Am | FI-V-vi-IV (pop axis)The bright, forward-moving loop behind countless pop songs.
- Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7ii-V-IThe core resolution of jazz and city pop.
- C | G | Am | Em | F | C | F | GCanon progressionA slow eight-bar descent that supports almost any countermelody.
- Am | Dm | G | CCircle progression (vi-ii-V-I)Root motion in fourths — the smoothest chain of resolutions.
- Am | G | C | Fvi-V-I-IVThe falling bass in bars one and two gives it momentum.
Bright
- C | Am | F | GI-vi-IV-V (fifties changes)A plain, memorable loop that has been in use since the 1950s.
- C | F | G | CThree chords (I-IV-V-I)The most basic progression, and it resolves completely.
- Cmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7 | Fmaj7Diatonic ascentSeventh chords stepping upward — a floating city-pop feel.
- F | C | G | AmIV-I-V-viStarts on IV and stops on vi — easy to place in a verse.
- D | A | Bm | GI-V-vi-IV in D (guitar friendly)The same axis progression in the key that rings best on guitar.
Sad
Emotional
- Am | F | C | Gvi-IV-I-V (emotional loop)The same four chords started from the minor side.
- F | G | Em | AmRoyal Road (IV-V-iii-vi)A staple of Japanese pop and anime songs.
- Am | F | G | Cvi-IV-V-I (upward resolution)Starts dark and lands bright — good for a run into a chorus.
- F | G | Am | AmKomuro progression (IV-V-vi)The sound of 1990s Japanese dance pop.
- Am | C | D | Fi-III-IV-VI (Dorian tint)The D major in bar three gives it a distinctive lift.
- C | E7 | Am | FSecondary dominant (I-V7/vi-vi-IV)The E7 in bar two pulls hard into Am.
- Dm | Bb | F | Cvi-IV-I-V in FAm-F-C-G moved to F — useful when you need a lower vocal range.
Intense
- Am | G | F | EDescending line (Andalusian cadence)A tense progression whose root falls step by step.
- E5 | G5 | A5 | A5Power chords (i-III-IV)With no third in the chords, the melody decides major or minor.
- C | Bb | F | CMixolydian (I-bVII-IV-I)A rock staple built on the non-diatonic bVII.
- Am | Dm | E7 | AmMinor cadence (i-iv-V7-i)A clearly resolving minor progression using the harmonic minor.