307 named progressions, from I–V–vi–IV to the 12-bar blues and the Andalusian cadence, in any key and with any capo.
In C major, the Canon progression is C – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – G. Eight bars in which the roots fall a fourth and rise a step in turn while the top notes walk down the scale, then IV and V lead home. Used in pop, weddings and classical music for centuries.
The library above is set to Canon in C major. Press Play to hear it with strummed guitar, bass and drums in a pop groove, tap any chord to hear it on its own, or pick another key or a capo.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C major | C E G | tonic (home) |
| V | G major | G B D | dominant (pulling home) |
| vi | Am minor | A C E | tonic (home) |
| iii | Em minor | E G B | tonic (home) |
| IV | F major | F A C | predominant (moving away) |
Chords that share notes slide into each other; a change with no common notes sounds like a bigger step. Here is what each change keeps:
The easiest shape for each chord, with finger numbers. The barre chords are the hard part; the capo positions below can avoid them.
No capo needed: in C major the shapes without a capo are already easy. Each row shows the shapes you play and how easy they are (capo positions above the 7th fret are left out: the guitar sounds thin up there).
| Capo | Shapes you play | How easy |
|---|---|---|
| No capo | C G Am Em F | Easy |
| 7th fret | F C Dm Am B♭ | Some barre chords |
| 3rd fret | A E F♯m C♯m D | Hard |
| 5th fret | G D Em Bm C | Hard |
C, G, Am, Em and F, played C – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – G.
You don’t need one: in C the shapes without a capo are already easy.
Keep the numerals (I, V, vi, iii, IV) and build each chord from the new key, or tap another key in the library above and the chords change for you.
A minor. It has the same notes as C major, so Am (the vi chord) sounds at home in C progressions.