About the Chord Progression Generator
This chord progression generator turns roman-numeral progressions into real chords in any key. Pick a key and a progression — the I–V–vi–IV pop progression, ’50s I–vi–IV–V, ii–V–I jazz cadence, Pachelbel’s Canon, the Andalusian cadence, 12-bar blues and more — or type your own numerals or roll a random diatonic progression. You get the chord names, the notes in each chord, a guitar shape for each one and a play button to hear it.
Songwriters use it to sketch ideas and escape writer’s block, students to see how the same progression looks in every key, and players to learn the chord families behind common songs. Turning on seventh chords swaps triads for their diatonic seventh chords (Imaj7, ii7, V7 and so on) for a jazzier sound.
Uppercase numerals are major chords, lowercase are minor, ° is diminished and ø half-diminished; a ♭ or ♯ in front borrows a chord from outside the key (for example ♭VII). In minor keys numerals count from the minor tonic, so i–VI–III–VII in A minor is Am–F–C–G.
How to use the chord progression generator
- 1Pick the key and whether the song is major or minor.
- 2Choose a classic progression, a random one, or type your own roman numerals.
- 3Turn on seventh chords for a jazzier sound.
- 4Press Play to hear the progression at your tempo.
- 5Use the notes and guitar shapes in the table to play or arrange it.
Formula and method
A roman numeral names a scale degree of the key: I is the tonic, IV the fourth note, V the fifth and so on. The root of the chord is that note of the major scale (or natural minor scale in minor keys); a ♭ or ♯ prefix lowers or raises it a semitone for borrowed chords. Uppercase means a major triad, lowercase minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished and + augmented; suffixes such as 7, maj7, sus4 or add9 extend the chord.
With seventh chords on, each plain triad gets the seventh that belongs to the key — a major seventh on I and IV, a minor seventh on ii, iii and vi, a dominant seventh on V and a half-diminished seventh on vii°. Borrowed chords take their seventh from the parallel key (♭VII becomes ♭VII7, iv becomes iv7), and other non-diatonic major chords such as III or II become dominant sevenths, as secondary dominants usually are. Chord tones are spelled from the scale’s letters, so F major’s IV is B♭, not A♯.
- I, IV, V
- Major chords on scale degrees 1, 4 and 5
- ii, iii, vi
- Minor chords on degrees 2, 3 and 6
- vii°
- Diminished chord on degree 7
- ♭VII
- Major chord on the lowered 7th degree (borrowed)
Worked examples
Pop progression in G major
In G major the 1st, 5th, 6th and 4th scale degrees are G, D, E and C. I, V and IV are major and vi is minor, giving G–D–Em–C, the progression behind a huge number of pop songs.
Jazz ii–V–I in B♭
The 2nd, 5th and 1st degrees of B♭ major are C, F and B♭. As seventh chords they become Cm7, F7 and B♭maj7. At 90 BPM with 4 beats per chord one pass of four chords takes 16 beats = 10.7 seconds.
Andalusian cadence in A minor
i–VII–VI–V in A minor walks down A, G, F, E. The final V is major (E–G♯–B) thanks to the raised seventh of harmonic minor, which gives the flamenco sound.
Custom progression with a borrowed chord
♭VII lowers the 7th degree of D major (C♯) to C and makes it a major chord, a rock favourite borrowed from the parallel minor. The progression is D–C–G–D.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common chord progression?+
I–V–vi–IV (C–G–Am–F in C major) is used in hundreds of hit songs. I–IV–V and the ’50s progression I–vi–IV–V are also extremely common.
What do roman numerals mean in chord progressions?+
They name chords by scale degree so a progression works in any key. I is the chord on the first note of the key, V the chord on the fifth; uppercase means major and lowercase means minor.
What chords are in the key of C major?+
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B° (diminished). As seventh chords: Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7 and Bm7♭5.
Why is V major in a minor key?+
Composers usually raise the 7th note of the minor scale (harmonic minor) so the V chord is major and pulls strongly back to the tonic. Write V for the major chord or v for the natural-minor version.
How do I make a progression sound less generic?+
Try seventh chords, swap a chord for its relative (vi for I, ii for IV), borrow a chord like ♭VII or iv from the parallel key, or change how long each chord lasts.