Chord Progressions All Guitarists Need to Know
So you recently started learning to play the guitar. You know the names of each string, a small handful of chords, and how to play a couple of scales. Perhaps you noodle around with a couple melodies you learned by looking up tabs, but you haven’t started to really play music yet. To more easily and efficiently learn songs, it’s essential to know about some common chord progressions.
A chord progression is one of the core elements of almost every popular song. It’s a cycle of various chords played sequentially. In pop music, a chord progression typically includes only a handful of chords, usually 3 or 4. The quality of the chord (e.g. major or minor) and the order in which they’re played can greatly affect the mood of a song. This post will demonstrate how learning 4 chords will unlock your ability to play along with hundreds of iconic songs.
Chord Quality
To reiterate, a chord is created when two or more notes are played at the same time. But certain combinations of notes sound better than others. Randomly plopping your fingers across the fretboard and strumming through all of the strings probably won’t sound all that nice, while forming a defined chord by pressing on particular frets and playing only certain strings may sound quite pleasant. Why exactly is that?
It ultimately comes down to physics. Without getting too deep into the science side of things, sound moves in waves. Two or more notes may have frequencies that mathematically align (called harmonics), which results in a consonant sound that doesn’t come across as harsh to the listener. If the frequency of notes does not mathematically align, the resulting sound is dissonant, which feels unpleasant and jarring to the ear. For the purposes of this post, we’ll work with major and minor triads, both of which are considered consonant. Dissonant chords are a topic for another day.
Major triads consist of 3 notes: the root note, a major 3rd above the root, and a perfect 5th above the root. Major triads have a strong and somewhat happy sound to them.
Minor triads also consist of 3 notes. The only difference is that minor triads consist of a minor 3rd above the root. They have more of a melancholy sound to them.
However, context plays a larger role in how a chord’s “mood” will translate. Chords containing dissonance can sound really pleasing to the ear when given the right context.
The Chords
The 4 chords we’ll apply are C major, F major, G major, and A minor. Each chord consists of notes that are found in the C major scale. Just for a refresher, that scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.
The C major chord is made up of the notes C, E, and G.
The F major chord is made up of the notes F, A, and C.
The G major chord is made up of the notes G, B, and D.
The A minor chord is made up of the notes A, C, and E.
Chord progressions are more commonly represented using Roman numerals. A major chord is shown with an uppercase numeral, while minor chords are shown with a lowercase numeral. A chord’s number represents the scale degree it is built from. In C major, C is the first scale degree (I), D is the second (ii - a lowercase numeral since this chord is minor), E is the third (iii), F is the fourth (IV), G is the fifth (V), A is the sixth (vi), and B is the seventh (vii dim - a diminished triad, which is a dissonant chord).
So we’ll describe C major as the I chord (said as “the ‘one’ chord”), F major as the IV chord (“the ‘four’ chord”), G major as the V chord (“the ‘five’ chord”), and A minor as the vi chord (“the ‘six’ chord”).
Below are chord diagrams showing simple ways to play each of these chords on the guitar. From left to right: C major (I), F major (IV), G major (V), and A minor (vi). And just a reminder; if the string is marked with an “X” at the top, it won’t be played. A string marked with an “O” at the top is an open string. You’ll still play it, but you won’t press down any frets on that string. Most of these chords use only the 3 highest strings, with the exception of the G major (V) chord, which uses the 4 highest strings.
Each of these chords can be played using only 1 or 2 fingers from your fretting hand. Pay special attention to the F major chord; your pointer finger will press down on the first fret on both the B and high E strings. Doing so is an example of a barre chord, where one finger presses down on a single fret, but across more than one string. Spend some time practicing switching between each chord, taking care to play each note clearly.
Chord Progressions
To turn the above chords into a progression, we just need to define an order in which to play them. Below are some of the most common chord progressions that use these chords. Notice how they all begin with the I chord (C major in this case).
I - IV - V - IV: C major - F major - G major - F major. This chord progression can be heard in “La Bamba” by Richie Valens.
I - V - vi - IV : C major - G major - A minor - F major. This chord progression can be heard in “Let It Be” by the Beatles.
I - vi - IV - V : C major - A minor - F major - G major. This chord progression can be heard in “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King (played in A major on the recording so the chords are actually G major, E minor, C major, and D major).
While we’ve been introducing these progressions specifically in the key of C major, they can be played in any other key. Countless songs are written using the above progressions in every key signature. In fact, chord progressions are so ubiquitous in music that you aren’t able to copyright them. To really get comfortable with the sound of these progressions, it’s a good idea to practice them in each key!
Other Songs
Some other examples of songs that make use of the above chord progressions include:
“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz (I - V - vi - IV)
“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (I - vi - IV - V)
“No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley and the Wailers (I - V - vi - IV)
“When I Come Around” by Green Day (I - V - vi - IV)
“Joker” by Steve Miller (I - IV - V - IV)
Continuing Practice
There are thousands of other songs that use the chord progressions covered here, as well as dozens of other chord progressions to try out. As you become more familiar with these progressions, you’ll begin recognizing them in the music you listen to. Make sure to experiment with trying out some chord progressions of your own creation as you practice guitar!
Looking to boost yourself from a beginner to a solidly intermediate player while becoming integrated with your local music community? Our group guitar classes are geared toward adults that are just starting out - no experience required. While it’s never too late to get started, learning alongside other budding guitarists under the guidance of an experienced teacher makes it all the more enjoyable. We hope to see you soon at our guitar school near Cambridge!