Pop · Intermediate · major key

I–III7–vi–IV

I – III7 – vi – IV — The III7 points strongly to vi — a sudden dramatic swerve.

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 – III7 – vi – IV — in C major that is C – E7 – Am – F. 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.
• III7 — a major chord where you expect minor: points strongly to vi.
• vi — the relative minor — the "sad" chord of a major key.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.

I–III7–vi–IV 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

• I–III7–IV–V I – III7 – IV – V
• I–V–vi–iii–IV I – V – vi – iii – IV
• I–vi–iii–IV I – vi – iii – IV
• I–vi–ii–IV I – vi – ii – IV
• Extended Canon turnaround I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – ii – V
• vi–iii–IV–I vi – iii – IV – I

← Secondary dominant (I–II7–IV–I) · I–♭VII–IV–V →

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