J-pop · Intermediate · major key

Royal Road (J-pop "ōdō" progression)

IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi — The signature sound of anime and J-pop: yearning, emotional and endlessly climbing.

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 IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi — in C major that is Fmaj7 – G7 – Em7 – Am. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• IVmaj7 — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
• V7 — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.
• iii7 — a gentle minor chord that shares two notes with I.
• vi — the relative minor — the "sad" chord of a major key.

Royal Road (J-pop "ōdō" progression) 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

• Royal Road full cadence IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi – ii7 – V7 – I – I
• Anime chorus climb (IV–V–iii–vi–IV–V–I) IV – V – iii – vi – IV – V – I – I
• Komuro progression (vi–IV–V–I) vi – IV – V – I
• Descending vi–V–IV–iii vi – V – IV – iii
• Pachelbel's Canon progression I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V
• Major circle of fifths I – IV – vii° – iii – vi – ii – V – I

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