Guitar Lessons: The Chord Progression I, VIm, IV, V

As you progress on the guitar and learn to play new songs, you will notice that many “different” songs actually use similar chord progressions. In fact, over time, you will begin to recognize some of the various more common chord progressions when you hear them.

We have previously discussed one of the most common progressions found in many genres of music, the I, IV, V (1,4,5) chord progression.

You may remember that this progression has its roots in blues music, but it is also prevalent in rock, pop, and country music. Today we will look at a popular variation of this progression, the chord pattern: I, VIm, IV, V (1.6m, 4.5). This progression could be verbalized as: “one, six minors, four, five”

The numbers, either expressed in terms of Roman numerals or with a standard numerical value, simply represent the “scale steps” for the “root note” of each chord.

To clarify, let’s take a look at the notes in a “C” major scale: CDEFGABC

By assigning a numerical value to each of these notes, you can begin to identify the root notes of chords in a chord progression in the key of C.

For example:

C = 1
D = 2
E = 3
F = 4
G = 5
A = 6
B = 7
C = octave (start over)

So using this example above, if you want to find out the chord root notes of a chord progression I, VIm, IV, V in the key of C, just select the notes that are in the 1st, 6th, 4th and 5th Steps scale of the C major scale.

In this case, the notes you would end up with are: CAFG

Now note that the root note for the sixth scale step is “A”, but the chord progression requires a VIm (6m) or “minor six”, which means that the “A” must be played as an Am. (A minor). That said, the I, VIm, IV, V chord progression in the key of C would be as follows: C Am FG

Now you can apply this same theory to any key signature. For example, the chord progression I, VIm, IV, V in the key of “G” would be: G Em CD

In the key of “A” … AF # m DE

… and so.

Play those four chords and see if they sound familiar to you. They should, you’ve heard them a million times. This progression was used quite a bit in the pop music of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and can still be heard in contemporary music today. You can hear the progression in familiar standards like:

• “Stay by me”
• “Good night darling”
• “Sleepwalking”
• “Hi dear”

… Just to name a few.

Now that you know how to play an I, VIm, IV, V chord progression, take a few minutes to figure out how to play it in various pitches and see how many songs you can name that use this popular progression.

Enjoy!