Folk · Beginner · major key

I–vi–IV–I

I – vi – IV – I — A soft, hymn-like loop that keeps coming home.

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 – vi – IV – I — in C major that is C – Am – 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.
• vi — the relative minor — the "sad" chord of a major key.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.

I–vi–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

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

← Scale climb I–iii–IV–V–vi · I–IV–vi–IV →

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Questions