Gospel · Beginner · major key

Plagal "amen" cadence

I – IV – I – IV — The sound of "A-men" at the end of a hymn.

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 – IV – I – IV — in C major that is C – F – C – 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.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.

Plagal "amen" cadence 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

• Gospel I–IV–I–V–vi–IV–I I – IV – I – V – vi – IV – I – I
• Gospel sus resolution I – IV – V7sus4 – V7
• Gospel walk-up I – ii – iii – IV – V
• Perfect cadence (V–I) IV – V – I – I
• I–vi–IV–I I – vi – IV – I
• I–V–IV–I classic rock I – V – IV – I

← Half cadence (ends on V) · Suspended pop (Isus4–I–IV–V) →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

Questions