Gospel · Intermediate · major key

Gospel walk-up

I – ii – iii – IV – V — Climbing up the scale one chord at a time to a big V.

Chord shapes in G major (standard tuning)

Using a different tuning? Open it in the Looper — it finds playable shapes for whatever tuning you choose.

How the chords work

Written in Roman numerals, this progression is I – ii – iii – IV – V — in C major that is C – Dm – Em – F – G. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.
• ii — a soft minor chord that leads towards V (a "pre-dominant").
• iii — a gentle minor chord that shares two notes with I.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
• V — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.

Gospel walk-up in all 12 keys

Practice ideas

• Beginners: play one strum per chord and say the chord names out loud, then two strums, then a steady down-down-up-up-down-up pattern.
• Change keys with a capo: keep the G major shapes and move a capo up — the capo calculator shows which fret gives the key you want.
• Solo over it: loop it in the Looper and improvise with the G major pentatonic or G major scale — the scale pages show every position and play a backing track.
• Train your ear: the progression ear trainer mixes this with similar progressions until you can tell them apart.

Similar progressions

• Major circle of fifths I – IV – vii° – iii – vi – ii – V – I
• Royal Road full cadence IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi – ii7 – V7 – I – I
• Extended Canon turnaround I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – ii – V
• City pop loop IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – Imaj7
• Bird blues (Parker changes) Imaj7 – viiø7 – III7 – vi7 – II7 – v7 – I7 – IV7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – iii7 – VI7 – ii7 – ♭III7 – ii7 – V7
• Gospel sus resolution I – IV – V7sus4 – V7

← Funk vamp (I9–IV9) · Royal Road full cadence →

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