Chord progression generator
Pick a key and a mood, loop the progression with drums and bass, and see which notes to sing over each chord. Every progression works in all 12 keys.
Heard in: "Let It Be", "With or Without You", "Someone Like You"
Why does this progression work?
Get a plain-English breakdown of the chord functions, a melody tip and two variations for the progression above.
Chords in C major
The seven chords built from the scale. Any of these fit together.
| Numeral | Chord | Function |
|---|---|---|
| I | C | home (tonic) |
| ii | Dm | pre-dominant |
| iii | Em | tonic substitute |
| IV | F | subdominant |
| V | G | dominant: pulls home |
| vi | Am | relative minor |
| vii° | Bdim | dominant substitute |
How chord progressions create tension and release
Chords in a key do three jobs. The tonic (I, and its stand-ins vi and iii) feels like home. The subdominant (IV, ii) moves away. The dominant (V, vii°) creates tension that wants to resolve back home. The V chord’s pull comes from its third, the leading tone, a half step below the tonic: in C major, the B in G major wants to rise to C.
Most progressions are a trip around that loop: home → away → tension → home. Borrowed chords like ♭VII and ♭VI (taken from the parallel minor) add colour without breaking the loop, which is why I–♭VII–IV sounds so at home in rock. To see which keys share chords, spin the circle of fifths; to sketch a melody over your progression, open the music maker.
Questions
What is the most common chord progression?
I–V–vi–IV (in C: C–G–Am–F). It underpins songs from “Let It Be” to “Someone Like You”, and rotating it gives vi–IV–I–V, just as common.
What do the Roman numerals mean?
They number chords by the scale degree of their root, so a progression works in any key. Upper case is major (I, IV, V), lower case is minor (ii, iii, vi), ° is diminished, and ♭ means the root is lowered a half step, borrowed from the parallel minor.
How do I write a melody over a chord progression?
Use the scale of the key, and land on a note of the current chord on strong beats (1 and 3). The chord tones are shown under each chord here.
Are chord progressions copyrighted?
No. Chord progressions are generally not protected by copyright on their own; melodies and lyrics are. That’s why so many songs share the same progressions.