Workshop tool · Free
Chord progressions by style, transposed to any key
Most songs are built on a handful of proven chord progressions. This tool collects them by style, writes them in Roman numerals so you understand how they work, and transposes them to any key with the guitar diagrams to play them. A degree builder at the top also lets you make your own progression in a few clicks and hear it straight away.
Included in the free account.
What you can do with the progressions tool
The tool has two parts.
The degree builder. Choose a key (any of the 12 notes) and Major or Minor. The seven chords of the key appear as buttons with their Roman numerals; click them to build a loop of up to 16 chords. Press Play to hear it, remove a chord with one click, and read the hint below the loop: it tells you, for example, that ending on V makes the loop want to resolve to I.
The library. Progressions are grouped by style: pop, rock, blues, folk, jazz, latin and funk/soul. Choose a key and every chord is recalculated. Each card shows:
- the Roman numerals and the chord names in your key;
- whether the progression is in a major or minor key, and songs where you can hear it;
- guitar diagrams on demand, with the option to alter each chord (7, 9, sus...);
- shortcuts to see the scales that fit, to build a solo over it, or to send it to the toolbox.
Roman numerals: why one progression works in every key
A chord progression is a sequence of chords, but it is most useful written as scale degrees. Roman numeral analysis numbers each chord from the key's tonic: uppercase for major chords (I, IV, V), lowercase for minor (ii, iii, vi), ° for diminished (vii°).
Once you think in numerals, a progression is a pattern you can play anywhere:
| Progression | In C | In G | In D |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-V-vi-IV | C G Am F | G D Em C | D A Bm G |
| I-vi-IV-V | C Am F G | G Em C D | D Bm G A |
| I-IV-V | C F G | G C D | D G A |
The first line is the famous pop progression. Start it on vi (Am F C G in C) and the same four chords sound more melancholic.
Other styles in the library use chords from outside the major scale. The rock I-♭VII-IV (D C G in D) borrows the ♭VII from the Mixolydian mode. The Andalusian cadence i-♭VII-♭VI-V in A minor is Am G F E, with the E major giving it its Spanish pull back to Am. In blues, every chord becomes a dominant seventh: the 12-bar blues in A uses A7, D7 and E7, commonly laid out as four bars of A7, two of D7, two of A7, then E7, D7, A7 and E7 to turn around.
What is free and what needs Premium
A free GuitarHarmony account opens the workshop, and the tool runs in your browser on computer, tablet or phone, with nothing to install.
Free: the degree builder in every key, major and minor, with playback; and the library styles pop, rock, blues and folk, in all 12 keys, with Roman numerals, guitar diagrams, chord alterations and the link to the scales that fit.
With Premium (Pro library): the jazz, latin and funk/soul styles, for example the major and minor ii-V-I, bossa nova and neo-soul progressions. The Build a solo shortcut opens the solo builder, which comes with Premium or as a one-off module. Premium costs 4.90 € a month or 39 € a year.
Tips for using progressions on the guitar
- Learn the numerals, not just the chords. Say "one, five, six, four" while you play C G Am F. Next time you meet G D Em C, you will recognise the same song shape.
- Choose a guitar-friendly key. C, G, D, A and E give you mostly open chords. If the song is in B♭ for a singer, play the shapes in G with a capo at the 3rd fret.
- Alter one chord at a time. Open the diagrams and turn the V into a V7, or the IV into a sus chord, to hear how a small change colours the whole loop.
- Look at the key on the circle. To see why I, IV and V sit together, open the interactive circle of fifths: they are neighbours on the wheel.
How to use it
- Build or pick a progression. In the builder, choose a key and Major or Minor, then click the degree buttons to add chords. Or scroll to the library and choose a style.
- Set the key. In the library, click one of the 12 keys. Every progression is transposed at once, with the chord names next to the Roman numerals.
- Listen and read the hint. In the builder, press Play to hear your loop, and read the hint below it on how the last chord leads back to the tonic.
- Show the guitar diagrams. On a library card, click Show guitar diagrams to see a shape for each chord. Use Alter to try a 7, 9 or sus version, and Back to the original to undo.
- Take it further. Use See scales to open the progression in the scales tool and find what to improvise with.
What you can do with it
Writing a song quickly
Pick a pop or folk progression, set the key to suit your voice, and you have a verse and chorus to sing over in minutes.
Practising chord changes
Play I-vi-IV-V in G (G Em C D), then in C (C Am F G). The same pattern trains different open-chord changes.
Learning a style
Go through the rock progressions in E: E D A for I-♭VII-IV, then Em G D A for i-♭III-♭VII-IV. You hear what makes the style before you learn a single song.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common chord progressions?
I-V-vi-IV (C G Am F in C), I-vi-IV-V (C Am F G), I-IV-V (C F G), the 12-bar blues and, in jazz, the ii-V-I (Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 in C). All of them are in the library.
Can I transpose a progression to another key?
Yes. Click any of the 12 keys and every chord is recalculated, while the Roman numerals stay the same.
Which styles are free?
Pop, rock, blues and folk are free, along with the degree builder. Jazz, latin and funk/soul are part of the Pro library, included with Premium.
Does the tool show how to play the chords on guitar?
Yes. Each progression can show a guitar diagram for every chord, and you can alter each chord (7, 9, sus...) to hear a richer version.