Chord Progressions by Key: Major-Key Chords and Patterns

A chord progression by key is easiest to understand when you separate the pattern from the chord names.

The Roman numerals stay the same in every major key:

I – ii – iii – IV – V – vi – vii°

The chord qualities also stay the same:

major – minor – minor – major – major – minor – diminished

Only the roots change when you choose a new key. Click any chord in the chart to see its exact notes on piano.

Major-Key Chord Chart

The diminished vii chord appears less often in basic pop loops, but it matters because it contains two tones that pull toward the tonic. In seventh-chord harmony it becomes a half-diminished chord, written viiø7.

The Same Progression in Every Key

To use the chart, choose a Roman-numeral pattern and read down the corresponding columns.

I–V–vi–IV

• C major: C – G – Am – F
• D major: D – A – Bm – G
• E-flat major: Eb – Bb – Cm – Ab
• G major: G – D – Em – C
• A major: A – E – F#m – D

Even though the chord names change, each version has the same functional path.

ii–V–I

• C major: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
• E-flat major: Fm7 – Bb7 – Ebmaj7
• F major: Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7
• G major: Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7
• B-flat major: Cm7 – F7 – Bbmaj7

Adding sevenths gives this cadence its familiar jazz color, but the triad version has the same basic function.

I–vi–IV–V

• C major: C – Am – F – G
• D-flat major: Db – Bbm – Gb – Ab
• E major: E – C#m – A – B
• F major: F – Dm – Bb – C
• B major: B – G#m – E – F#

The final V chord creates forward pull, so the return to I at the top of the loop feels clear.

How To Find the Chords Without a Chart

Charts are convenient, but the underlying method is worth learning.

1. Write the major scale.
2. Build a triad by stacking alternate scale notes above each degree.
3. Apply the major-key quality pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
4. Label the result I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii°.

For D major, the scale is D, E, F-sharp, G, A, B, C-sharp. Building triads gives D, Em, F-sharp minor, G, A, B minor, and C-sharp diminished.

The Diatonic Chord Explorer does this instantly and also lets you compare seventh chords and borrowed harmony.

How To Transpose a Progression

Suppose you have C–Am–F–G and want to move it to E major.

First convert the chords to scale degrees in C:

• C is I
• Am is vi
• F is IV
• G is V

Then look up those same degrees in E major:

• I is E
• vi is C-sharp minor
• IV is A
• V is B

The transposed progression is E – C#m – A – B .

When To Use Chords Outside the Key

A chord chart is a home base, not a rule that every chord must obey.

Once the key is clear, an outside chord can add a specific kind of motion:

• a secondary dominant can point temporarily toward a diatonic chord
• a borrowed minor iv can create a darker return to a major tonic
• a flat-VII chord can add Mixolydian or rock color
• a chromatic mediant can create a larger cinematic shift

Begin with the diatonic set so you know what stable sounds like. Then treat each outside chord as an intentional contrast rather than a random exception.