Nathaniel School of Music

15 of the Most Popular Chord Progressions on Piano (Major, Minor and Modal)

Popular piano chord progressions in the key of F include I–vi–IV–V (F Dm Bb C), I–V–vi–IV and its rotations, ii–V–I, the minor i–bVII–v–bVI, the Andalusian i–bVII–bVI–V, the Dorian i–bIII–bVII–IV, the Mixolydian bVII–IV–I, the 12-bar blues, the Canon progression and the line cliché.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 34 min

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Key points

This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music gives you a palette of about 15 chord progressions heard in countless songs, so you can start writing your own music on the piano. Instead of the usual key of C, everything is shown in F (F major has one flat, Bb), which pushes you to make every key equally comfortable. It suits anyone who knows basic triads and Roman numerals.

Major key progressions

In F major the chords are: I = F, ii = Gm, iii = Am, IV = Bb, V = C, vi = Dm.

  1. I–vi–IV–V (F Dm Bb C): the classic 50s, doo-wop sound. Try it with a bouncy, marching rhythm. You can swap the IV for ii (F Dm Gm C), since both play the same predominant role.
  2. Ballad progression: I–V–ii, ending on either IV or vi (F C Gm Bb, or F C Gm Dm). Hold each chord long, or change every two beats for an 80s rock-ballad feel.
  3. I–V–vi–IV as a cycle (F C Dm Bb): treat the four chords as a circle and start anywhere. V–vi–IV–I works, and vi–IV–I–V (Dm Bb F C) is hugely popular.
  4. IV–I–V–vi (Bb F C Dm): the same cycle started from the IV, a sound associated with Ed Sheeran.
  5. ii–V–I (Gm C F): the jazz cadence, letting the I ring longer. Add vi after it (Gm C F Dm), or make the sixth chord major (D) so it becomes a secondary dominant leading back to Gm.
  6. ii–IV–vi–V (Gm Bb Dm C): the Daft Punk or Get Lucky progression, which never lands on the I chord.
  7. vi–I–V–IV (Dm F C Bb): a jumbled order of I–V–vi–IV, heard in Counting Stars.

Minor key progressions

F natural minor is F G Ab Bb C Db Eb.

  1. Minor ballad: i–bVII–v–bVI (Fm Eb Cm Db). The v is minor because it comes from the natural minor scale.
  2. Dance/EDM: bVI–bVII–i (Db Eb Fm), optionally adding Ab/C (the bIII with C in the bass) as a bolder fourth chord. You can also stay on Fm longer, or end a song on F major for an uplifting finish.
  3. Andalusian cadence: i–bVII–bVI–V (Fm Eb Db C). It borrows from natural and harmonic minor, giving that Flamenco, Hit the Road Jack sound.
  4. Jazz minor ii–V–i: Gm7b5 (G Bb Db F), C7 (C E G Bb), Fm. A C7b9 also works on the V. Use it to reharmonise existing songs.

Modal progressions

  1. Dorian rock: i–bIII–bVII–IV (Fm Ab Eb Bb). F Dorian is natural minor with a raised sixth (D), which is why the IV is major.
  2. Mixolydian cadence: bVII–IV–I (Eb Bb F). Mixolydian is a major scale with a flat seventh, and these are its major chords, the Sweet Home Alabama sound. A blues-scale melody fits well over it.

Long progressions

  1. 12-bar blues: built from I, IV and V (F7, Bb7, C7), all played as dominant sevenths. The I runs for four bars, the IV for two, back to the I, then the V and IV return you home. The 12 bars mirror the AAB lyric form: a line, the line repeated, then an answering line.
  2. Canon progression: I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V (F C Dm Am Bb F Bb C), from Pachelbel's Canon. Its cyclic movement is why it never wears out.
  3. Line cliché: hold one chord, such as Fm, in the right hand while the bass walks down (or up) step by step, chromatically or within the scale. This links to secondary dominants and is a simple way to build long progressions or rearrange songs.

How to practise

Play each progression slowly in F, first holding the chords, then adding a rhythm. Try the I–V–vi–IV family in every rotation. Then move the progressions to other keys, so no key feels harder than another.

Questions about this lesson

What is the 1-6-4-5 progression in F major?

It is F, Dm, Bb, C. You can replace the Bb (IV) with Gm (ii) because both have the same predominant function.

What chords are in the Andalusian cadence in F minor?

It is i–bVII–bVI–V: Fm, Eb, Db and C major. The C major comes from harmonic minor while the other chords come from natural minor.

Why is the IV chord major in a Dorian progression?

Dorian is a minor scale with a raised sixth. In F Dorian that sixth is D, so the IV chord is Bb D F, a major triad, giving the i–bIII–bVII–IV rock sound (Fm Ab Eb Bb).

What is a line cliché?

You hold one chord, such as Fm, in the right hand while the bass moves down or up step by step. The changing bass notes create a long, flowing progression from a single chord shape.

Practise it

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