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I - vi - IV - V

Also known as the 50s progression, doo-wop changes, or the “Heart and Soul” chords.

The same four chords as the pop progression, reordered to put the relative minor right after the tonic. That small change gives it a gentler, more circular feel, and it's the sound of close-harmony doo-wop groups and slow-dance ballads from the 1950s on.

Hear it in different keys

In F major

I F vim Dm IV Bb V C

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In A major

I A vim F#m IV D V E

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Heard in

Famous songs built on this progression. Learn the loop above and you can play along with them.

Each key above has a MIDI download with every chord played back to back, ready to drop into any DAW or notation program.

Roman numerals show scale degree and quality: uppercase for major, lowercase for minor, a small circle for diminished. Tap any chord above to open its full page, with a diagram and playback.