Chord progression
I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V progression
An eight-chord pattern from the Baroque era: the bass walks down the scale while the chords above it change on every step.
I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V in all 12 keys
Every row is the same progression moved to another key. Tap a chord for its shapes, or play a row to hear it.
Why I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V works
The roots go down a fourth and up a second, over and over: I down to V, up to vi, down to iii, up to IV. With inversions the bass simply walks down the scale, one step per chord, which gives the pattern its calm, stately motion. The second half returns home through IV and V for a firm ending.
On piano, play it with the bass going straight down the scale (in C: C, B, A, G, F, E, F, G) and keep the right hand close to the middle of the keyboard. The playback uses the same idea.
How to practise it
Give each chord two beats and play it slowly. The pattern is long, so learn it in two halves of four chords before joining them. On guitar in C or D every chord is an open shape.
Use the metronome: start around 70–80 BPM with two or four beats per chord, and change chords exactly on the first beat. When the changes are clean, raise the tempo in small steps and try the same pattern in two or three other keys from the table.
Choosing a key
Which key to use? Whatever suits the singer or the instrument. Guitarists usually prefer G, D, A, E and C for I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V, because the chords are open shapes there; pianists often start in C. The table above has every key, and each chord links to its diagrams, so you can switch keys without working anything out.
Variations
Use slash chords to make the falling bass explicit (C–G/B–Am–Em/G–F–C/E–F–G). Pop ballads often use only the first four chords as a loop.