PROGRESSION · I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
The Canon Progression
Eight bars whose bass line walks almost entirely downward by step. Written in the 1600s and still charting. Also called the Pachelbel progression, or the the Canon in D sequence.
In C major
C – G – Am – Em – F – C – F – G — stately, cascading, ceremonial, around 88 BPM.
Why it works
The engine is the bass: C–B–A–G–F–C–F–G. Six of the first five moves descend by step or a third, which gives the progression a continuous falling gesture that the chords are almost incidental to. Each descending pair also forms a strong root movement — down a fourth or up a second — so the harmony stays functional while the bass does something purely linear.
Where you'll hear it
Anything that needs to sound inevitable. Because it is eight bars rather than four it can carry a whole verse without repeating, which makes it a good choice when a four-chord loop would feel thin.
I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V in every key
The same progression transposed. The roman numerals never change — that is the whole point of writing progressions this way.
| Key | I | V | vi | iii | IV | I | IV | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | G | Am | Em | F | C | F | G |
| Db | Db | Ab | Bbm | Fm | Gb | Db | Gb | Ab |
| D | D | A | Bm | F#m | G | D | G | A |
| Eb | Eb | Bb | Cm | Gm | Ab | Eb | Ab | Bb |
| E | E | B | C#m | G#m | A | E | A | B |
| F | F | C | Dm | Am | Bb | F | Bb | C |
| F# | F# | C# | D#m | A#m | B | F# | B | C# |
| G | G | D | Em | Bm | C | G | C | D |
| Ab | Ab | Eb | Fm | Cm | Db | Ab | Db | Eb |
| A | A | E | F#m | C#m | D | A | D | E |
| Bb | Bb | F | Gm | Dm | Eb | Bb | Eb | F |
| B | B | F# | G#m | D#m | E | B | E | F# |
Related progressions
Drill the chords behind I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
Build every chord in this progression from its symbol, against the clock.
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