Pop anthem roots (I–V–vi–IV)

The roots of the most-used pop progression — C, G, Am, F — in steady eighths. Play this and you can play along to a huge number of songs.

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80 BPM
Start at 80 · goal 130 BPM
Press play — or hit the space bar.
Position on the neck
0 frets
Frets 1–5 · key: C majorSee the scale →
1234EADG123412341234123433333333333333335555555511111111

Where to play it

012345678910111213141516171819EFGAACDG
Playing now Notes in this lick

How to practise it

  1. C on the A string fret 3, G and A on the E string frets 3 and 5, F on the E string fret 1.
  2. Keep your hand around frets 1–5 so every root is in reach.
  3. Once it's steady, add the octave on beat 3 of each bar for more movement.
  4. Start at 80 BPM. Only speed up when you can play it cleanly three times in a row — the goal is 130 BPM.