PROGRESSION · IV–V–iii–vi
The Royal Road Progression
A staple of Japanese pop and anime scoring: build to the dominant, then deflect into the relative minor. Also called the Ōdō shinkō, or the J-pop progression.
In C major
F – G – Em – Am — bittersweet, cinematic, surging, around 132 BPM.
Why it works
IV–V sets up a textbook approach to I, and then iii arrives instead. Because iii shares two notes with I, the ear accepts it as a stand-in and the resolution half-happens. vi then completes the deflection into the relative minor. It is a deceptive cadence used as a structural device rather than a one-off surprise, and repeating it makes the whole loop feel like it is perpetually almost resolving.
Where you'll hear it
Emotional peaks. It carries a lot of forward motion for four bars and pairs well with a melody that leaps on the iii.
IV–V–iii–vi in every key
The same progression transposed. The roman numerals never change — that is the whole point of writing progressions this way.
| Key | IV | V | iii | vi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | F | G | Em | Am |
| Db | Gb | Ab | Fm | Bbm |
| D | G | A | F#m | Bm |
| Eb | Ab | Bb | Gm | Cm |
| E | A | B | G#m | C#m |
| F | Bb | C | Am | Dm |
| F# | B | C# | A#m | D#m |
| G | C | D | Bm | Em |
| Ab | Db | Eb | Cm | Fm |
| A | D | E | C#m | F#m |
| Bb | Eb | F | Dm | Gm |
| B | E | F# | D#m | G#m |
Related progressions
Drill the chords behind IV–V–iii–vi
Build every chord in this progression from its symbol, against the clock.
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