Folk · Beginner · major key

Two-chord I–V

I – V — The most basic tension-and-release. Many children's songs and polkas live here.

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 – V — in C major that is C – 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.
• V — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.

Two-chord I–V 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
• I–ii–IV–I I – ii – IV – I
• I–vi–IV–I I – vi – IV – I
• Two-chord I–IV vamp I – IV
• Half cadence (ends on V) I – vi – IV – V
• The pop "axis" progression I – V – vi – IV

← Two-chord I–IV vamp · Two-chord I–vi →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

Questions