Canon progression (I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V)
The bass line of Pachelbel’s Canon in D: a stepwise falling bass over eight bars. Countless wedding and pop songs borrow it.
In C major
In all 12 keys
Mode: major. The capo column shows the fret where most chords become easy open shapes.
| Key | Chords | Capo |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – G | – |
| D♭ major | D♭ – A♭ – B♭m – Fm – G♭ – D♭ – G♭ – A♭ | 1. |
| D major | D – A – Bm – F♯m – G – D – G – A | 2. |
| E♭ major | E♭ – B♭ – Cm – Gm – A♭ – E♭ – A♭ – B♭ | 3. |
| E major | E – B – C♯m – G♯m – A – E – A – B | 4. |
| F major | F – C – Dm – Am – B♭ – F – B♭ – C | 5. |
| F♯ major | F♯ – C♯ – D♯m – A♯m – B – F♯ – B – C♯ | 6. |
| G major | G – D – Em – Bm – C – G – C – D | – |
| A♭ major | A♭ – E♭ – Fm – Cm – D♭ – A♭ – D♭ – E♭ | 1. |
| A major | A – E – F♯m – C♯m – D – A – D – E | 2. |
| B♭ major | B♭ – F – Gm – Dm – E♭ – B♭ – E♭ – F | 3. |
| B major | B – F♯ – G♯m – D♯m – E – B – E – F♯ | 4. |
Similar progressions
All chord progressions
- Pop progression (Axis)
- Sensitive pop (vi–IV–I–V)
- ’50s progression (doo-wop)
- Royal road (J-pop)
- Canon progression
- Circle-of-fifths progression
- Authentic cadence (I–IV–V–I)
- Folk and country
- ii–V–I (jazz)
- Turnaround (I–vi–ii–V)
- Minor ii–V–i
- 12-bar blues
- 12-bar blues, quick change
- Three-chord punk
- Mixolydian rock (I–♭VII–IV)
- ♭VI–♭VII–I (victory cadence)
- Andalusian cadence
- Epic minor (i–VI–III–VII)
- Minor cadence (i–iv–V–i)
- Minor ballad (i–VII–VI–VII)
- Dorian vamp (i–IV)
- Major-to-minor IV (I–iii–IV–iv)
Frequently asked questions
What are the chords of the Canon progression in C major?
C – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – G (I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V).
Which key is easiest on guitar?
The capo column in the table shows which fret to clamp so most chords become easy open shapes.
What do the Roman numerals mean?
The degrees of the key: I = tonic (1st degree), IV = 4th, V = 5th. Upper case is a major chord, lower case minor; ° means diminished, ø half-diminished and ♭ a lowered degree. That's what lets you move the progression to any key.
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