Pop · Intermediate · major key
I–II7–IV–I
I – II7 – IV – I — A surprising major II7 lifts the second chord.
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 – II7 – IV – I — in C major that is C – D7 – 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.
- II7 — a major II — the "V of V", brightening the way to V.
- IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
I–II7–IV–I in all 12 keys
| Key | Chords | Hear / play |
|---|---|---|
| C major | CD7FC | Looper |
| G major | GA7CG | Looper |
| D major | DE7GD | Looper |
| A major | AB7DA | Looper |
| E major | EF#7AE | Looper |
| B major | BC#7EB | Looper |
| F# major | F#G#7BF# | Looper |
| Db major | DbEb7GbDb | Looper |
| Ab major | AbBb7DbAb | Looper |
| Eb major | EbF7AbEb | Looper |
| Bb major | BbC7EbBb | Looper |
| F major | FG7BbF | Looper |
Songs that use it
- Eight Days a Week — The Beatles
Song examples use this progression (or a very close variant) in at least one main section; keys and voicings differ.
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
- Secondary dominant (I–II7–IV–I) I – II7 – IV – I
- vi–iii–IV–I vi – iii – IV – I
- Stepwise I–ii–iii–IV I – ii – iii – IV
- I–vi–iii–IV I – vi – iii – IV
- I–V–ii–IV I – V – ii – IV
- I–vi–ii–IV I – vi – ii – IV
← Celtic I–IV–I–♭VII · Country turnaround (I–I7–IV–II7–V7–I) →
← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one
Questions
What chords are in the I – II7 – IV – I progression?
In G major: G – A7 – C – G. In C major / A minor: C – D7 – F – C. The table on this page lists all 12 keys.
What is the best key to play I – II7 – IV – I on guitar?
G major uses the most open-position chord shapes in standard tuning. Use a capo with those shapes to reach other keys.
What songs use the i–ii7–iv–i?
For example: Eight Days a Week — The Beatles.