Common chord progressions: I–V–vi–IV and more
A progression describes harmonic relationships rather than fixed chord names. I–V–vi–IV can be C–G–Am–F, D–A–Bm–G or the same degrees in any other key.
I–V–vi–IV
This common pop sequence combines home, dominant tension, relative minor and the fourth degree. Play it in several keys to learn the relationship rather than one fingering.
vi–IV–I–V
The same four degrees begin from the relative minor, changing the sense of arrival even though the harmonic material is similar.
I–IV–V
A foundation of blues, rock, folk and traditional music. Hearing tonic, subdominant and dominant movement is essential when learning by ear.
ii–V–I
Especially common in jazz and tonal harmony, it creates a clear preparation-to-resolution path.
Practice function
- Choose a key.
- Play the degrees slowly.
- Sing each root.
- Transpose to two new keys.
- Find the same function in real songs.
These are patterns, not restrictions. Passing chords, inversions, modal borrowing and substitutions should be heard in context.
Recognize the bass before the full chord
When learning a progression by ear, first write the bass roots on a timeline. Then test the expected diatonic quality of each degree. This separates two listening problems and makes inversions easier to spot because the bass can differ from the chord root without changing the harmonic function.