Folk · Beginner · major key

I–ii–IV–I

I – ii – IV – I — Calm and unhurried, avoiding the V chord entirely.

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 – IV – I — in C major that is C – Dm – F – C. 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").
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.

I–ii–IV–I 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

• Celtic I–IV–I–♭VII I – IV – I – ♭VII
• Two-chord I–IV vamp I – IV
• I–vi–IV–I I – vi – IV – I
• Folk ballad (I–iii–vi–IV) I – iii – vi – IV
• I–V–ii / I–V–IV I – V – ii – ii – I – V – IV – IV
• I–ii–iii–ii rocking line I – ii – iii – ii

← I–IV–vi–IV · ii–IV–V–I →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

Questions