Pop · Intermediate · major key
Falling IV–iii–ii–I
IV – iii – ii – I — A smooth stepwise descent 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 IV – iii – ii – I — in C major that is F – Em – Dm – C. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.
- IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
- iii — a gentle minor chord that shares two notes with I.
- ii — a soft minor chord that leads towards V (a "pre-dominant").
- I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.
Falling IV–iii–ii–I in all 12 keys
| Key | Chords | Hear / play |
|---|---|---|
| C major | FEmDmC | Looper |
| G major | CBmAmG | Looper |
| D major | GF#mEmD | Looper |
| A major | DC#mBmA | Looper |
| E major | AG#mF#mE | Looper |
| B major | ED#mC#mB | Looper |
| F# major | BA#mG#mF# | Looper |
| Db major | GbFmEbmDb | Looper |
| Ab major | DbCmBbmAb | Looper |
| Eb major | AbGmFmEb | Looper |
| Bb major | EbDmCmBb | Looper |
| F major | BbAmGmF | Looper |
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
- Extended Canon turnaround I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – ii – V
- Stepwise I–ii–iii–IV I – ii – iii – IV
- Scale climb I–iii–IV–V–vi I – iii – IV – V – vi
- I–V–ii–IV I – V – ii – IV
- I–V–vi–iii–IV I – V – vi – iii – IV
- I–vi–iii–IV I – vi – iii – IV
← ii–IV–V–I · I–III7–IV–V →
← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one
Questions
What chords are in the IV – iii – ii – I progression?
In G major: C – Bm – Am – G. In C major / A minor: F – Em – Dm – C. The table on this page lists all 12 keys.
What is the best key to play IV – iii – ii – 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.