The I vi ii V Chord Progression

What the I vi ii V progression is

The I vi ii V progression is a four-chord sequence built on the first, sixth, second, and fifth notes of a major scale. It shows up in jazz, R&B, and pop, and it works especially well as a loop or as a turnaround, a short pattern that carries the music back to the start of a section.

In C major, the progression is C - Am - Dm - G.

The chords in C major

Here are the chords as triads and as seventh chords, which is how jazz players usually play them.

Note that the V chord is usually a dominant seventh (G7), because it is the chord with the strongest pull back to I.

Why it sounds the way it does

The roots of the last three chords move down by a fifth each time: A to D, D to G, and G to C if you carry on into the next bar. That falling-fifths motion is one of the most natural-sounding movements in tonal music, and it is what gives the progression its smooth, forward-moving feel.

The first step, from I down to vi, is gentler. C and Am share two notes (C and E), so the change feels soft before the cycle gains momentum.

Playing it on piano

A simple approach is to play the root of each chord in your left hand and the full chord in your right. Here are right-hand voicings that keep the hand in one place:

Most notes stay put or move by a step from chord to chord, which makes the progression easy to play smoothly. Try it slowly with a metronome, then add a bass note on beat one of each bar. You may need to adjust the voicings to suit the size of your hands.

Using it as a turnaround

A turnaround is a short chord pattern at the end of a section that sets up the return to the beginning. Because the V chord leads so strongly to I, ending a phrase on I - vi - ii - V and then looping back is a natural choice. In many jazz tunes it fills the last two bars of a section, often with each chord lasting two beats.

If you are building a repertoire of loops, the good chord progressions guide shows how this one compares with I-V-vi-IV and other patterns.

Variations

• Dominant on vi: Replace Am7 with A7. The C# in A7 pulls toward D, so the move to the ii chord feels stronger.
• All dominant chords: Play III7 - VI7 - II7 - V7 (E7 - A7 - D7 - G7 in C) for a bluesier, more tense sound.
• Tritone substitution: Replace a dominant chord with the dominant chord a tritone away, such as Db7 for G7. The bass line then moves in half steps, which some players find smoother.
• Add color: Extensions such as 9ths are common in jazz, but start with plain sevenths.

These are common options, but there is no right answer. Listen to each change before you decide to keep it.

In other keys and in minor

Because the progression is written with numbers, it works in every key. In F major it is F - Dm - Gm - C; in G major it is G - Em - Am - D. Practice it in several keys, starting with those that have few sharps and flats.

In minor keys a related pattern is i - VI - ii° - V, with the V often major or dominant. For the chords in one minor key, see what chords go with C minor.

How to read progression numbers

Each numeral names a scale degree: I is the first note of the scale, ii the second, and so on. Uppercase numerals are major chords and lowercase are minor. In C major, vi is A minor because A is the sixth note and the chord built on it is minor.

The same logic works in minor keys. For example, the VI chord in E minor is C major, because C is the sixth note of the E natural minor scale (E - F# - G - A - B - C - D) and the chord built on it is major.

You may also see I-V-vi-IV, the common pop progression, which in C is C - G - Am - F. It shares the I and vi chords with I vi ii V but is a different pattern.

Practice ideas

1. Play the progression in C with two beats per chord, then four.
2. Move it to F and G.
3. Play only the seventh chords, then only the triads, and compare.
4. Improvise a simple melody using notes from the C major scale (see improvisation exercises for music).