Progression Finder
Enter a sequence of chords and find out what progression it is — I–V–vi–IV, ii–V–I, 12-bar blues and the rest — and which keys it fits.
Enter the chords in order — e.g. C, G, Am, F.
That is a known progression
Pop progression — I–V–vi–IV — in the key of C major
Degrees: I – V – vi – IV · The four-chord song: thousands of pop songs, from ballads to anthems.
Classic progressions to recognise
| Progression | Degrees | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| Pop progression — I–V–vi–IV | I–V–vi–IV | The four-chord song: thousands of pop songs, from ballads to anthems. |
| Folk progression — I–vi–IV–V | I–vi–IV–V | The 50s progression behind doo-wop and countless folk songs. |
| Jazz turnaround — ii–V–I | ii–V–I | The most common jazz cadence: ii sets up V, V resolves to I. |
| 12-bar blues — I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–V | I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–V | The blues form: four bars of I, two of IV, two of I, then V–IV–I–V. |
| Sad progression — vi–IV–I–V | vi–IV–I–V | The pop progression starting on vi — the same chords, a sadder home. |
| Andalusian cadence — i–VII–VI–V | I–vii°–vi–V | The descending minor-line cadence from flamenco and classical music. |
| Pachelbel — I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V | I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V | Pachelbel's Canon: eight chords, still everywhere in pop. |
How it works: A progression is named by its degrees in a key, not by its chords: C–G–Am–F and G–D–Em–C are the same progression (I–V–vi–IV) in different keys.
Try next: Chord Progression Builder