Chord progression generator

Pick a key and a proven pattern, hear it strummed, then open every chord diagram in the loop.

keys: 12 major, 12 minor
patterns: 6 major, 4 minor
diatonic chords: 7 per key
audio: Web Audio

the progression generatorpick a key and a pattern, then press play to hear it strummed

Key

Mode

Pattern

How to use generated progressions

A generated loop is a starting point, not a song. These four moves turn four roman numerals into something you can actually play.

Loop it slowly. Play one strum per chord with themetronome at 70 BPM until the changes are automatic. The pattern should feel like one gesture, not four separate chords.
Hum a melody on top. The progression is the floor; the melody is the song. Loop the chords and hum nonsense syllables until something sticks.
Transpose it for your voice. Too high to sing? Change the key above and the pattern stays identical while the chords move. Thecapo calculator finds the easiest shapes for the new key.
Check it against a real song. Open a sheet from the list above, or run its chords through the key finder, and you will see the same numerals doing the same jobs in a song people already know.

What is a chord progression generator?

A chord progression generator is a tool that builds a chord sequence for you instead of making you guess one chord at a time. You choose a key, and every pattern it offers is written in roman numerals: I, IV, V, vi and the rest. Numerals describe the job each chord does inside the key rather than the letter name, so one pattern works in all twelve keys. Pick I-V-vi-IV in C and the tool plays C, G, Am, F. Switch the key to G and the same pattern becomes G, D, Em, C without changing a single thing about how it feels. Because the output is plain chords, you can hear the loop strummed, open the diagram for any chord in it, transpose the whole progression for a singer, and copy the symbols into a lyric sheet or a rehearsal note.

7diatonic chords in any major key

12keys, each with a major and a minor side

10named progressions, 6 major and 4 minor

Learn & referenceExamples, charts and deeper explanation

The seven diatonic chords, and what each one does

Stack a note, its third and its fifth on every step of the major scale and you get seven chords, no more and no less. The pattern of qualities is identical in every key, which is why the numerals travel: in C major the seven chords are spelled out below.

Degree	In C major	Quality	What it does in a progression
I	C	major	Home. The tonic, where a progression starts and wants to finish.
ii	Dm	minor	Gentle forward motion. Softens the step into V.
iii	Em	minor	Quiet colour. Often stands in for I, and bridges into vi.
IV	F	major	Departure. The chord that makes the key feel wide open.
V	G	major	Tension. The strongest pull back home to I.
vi	Am	minor	The relative minor. Adds melancholy without leaving the key.
vii°	Bdim	diminished	Instability. Rare on its own, usually a passing chord into I.

Lowercase numerals are minor chords and the small circle marks a diminished one, so vi is A minor and vii° is B diminished. The full dictionary lives in thechord chart.

The four chords behind I-V-vi-IV

The most used progression in pop needs three open shapes and one barre. These are the real fingerings this generator plays when you leave it in C major.

C major chord diagram: A string at fret 3 with the ring finger, D string at fret 2 with the middle finger, B string at fret 1 with the index finger — C major, the I, fingered x32010

G major chord diagram: low E string at fret 3 with the middle finger, A string at fret 2 with the index finger, high E string at fret 3 with the ring finger — G major, the V, fingered 320003

A minor chord diagram: D and G strings at fret 2 with the middle and ring fingers, B string at fret 1 with the index finger — A minor, the vi, fingered x02210

F major, the IV, fingered 133211

Real songs, and the pattern inside them

Every sheet in the songbook prints its sections chord by chord, so you can check a loop against the record before you learn it. These eight songs are the patterns above in the wild.

01Let It BeThe Beatles, key C. The verse rides I-V-vi-IV as C, G, Am, F before the walk-down F, Em, Dm, C.02I'm YoursJason Mraz, key C. Intro, verse and chorus are all C, G, Am, F, so the pop axis carries the whole song.03Stand By MeBen E. King, key G. The doo-wop loop I-vi-IV-V as G, Em, C, D, underneath the walking bass line.04PerfectEd Sheeran. Capo on fret 1, then G, Em, C, D: I-vi-IV-V in G shapes, sounding in Ab.05Knockin' on Heaven's DoorBob Dylan, key G. Two bars carry the song: G, D, Am then G, D, C, which is I-V-vi and I-V-IV.06Someone Like YouAdele, key A. The verse is A, C#m, F#m, D (I-iii-vi-IV) and the chorus swaps C#m for E to become I-V-vi-IV.07Country RoadsJohn Denver, key G. The verse is a I-vi-V-IV walk, G, Em, D, C, landing back on G every time.08HallelujahLeonard Cohen, key C. C, Am, F and G: the same four chords as the doo-wop loop, played as a slow ballad.

Want to know why those songs sit together? The chord progressions guide walks through the same numerals in longer form, and thecircle of fifths shows which chords belong to a key at a glance.

Chord progression FAQ

What is a chord progression?

A chord progression is the sequence of chords a song moves through. Roman numerals describe it relative to the key: I-V-vi-IV in C major means C, G, Am, F, and the same pattern in G major means G, D, Em, C. Learn the numeral pattern once and you can play it in every key.

Why do so many songs use I-V-vi-IV?

Because it balances tension and release: I is home, V creates pull, vi adds melancholy without leaving the family, and IV sets up the return home. Thousands of hits, from pop to punk, are built on this loop with different rhythms and melodies on top.

How do I write my own progression?

Start and end on the tonic (I in major, i in minor), put a V or VII near the end to create the pull home, and let the middle wander through ii, iii, IV or vi. Keep it to three or four chords; if it loops nicely under a hummed melody, it works.

Do the progressions work in a minor key?

Yes. Switch the mode to minor and the generator swaps the major patterns for minor ones such as i-VI-III-VII and i-VII-VI-VII, where the tonic chord is minor. The numerals change case on purpose: a lowercase numeral means a minor chord, so i is the minor tonic and VI is the major chord built on the sixth degree.

New to the shapes themselves? Start with thebasic guitar chords guide or thefull chord dictionary.

By Chiye · Updated September 12, 2026