Folk & Country Chord Progressions

Folk and country songs are usually built from the open chords of one key, moving between I and its closest neighbours.

Play them in C major — or pick another key

Folk / country in C major

A simple back-and-forth between I and its neighbours, heard in folk, country and campfire songs. 4 bars, then it loops.

90 BPM
Four beats per bar · speed trainer goes up to 140 BPM
Press play — or hit the space bar.

Solo on the fretboard

012345678910111213141516171819EFGABCDEFGABABCDEFGABCDEDEFGABCDEFGAGABCDEFGABCDBCDEFGABCDEFEFGABCDEFGAB
Chord tones C major Key note

Press play — or tap a chord above — to see its notes light up. Open the scale in the fretboard tool

Pick a progression

5 folk & country progressions

  1. Folk / country

    I – IV – I – V

    A simple back-and-forth between I and its neighbours, heard in folk, country and campfire songs.

    In C: C – F – C – G

    In G: G – C – G – DIn D: D – G – D – A

  2. Country with ii

    I – ii – IV – V

    The minor ii adds colour on the way up to V.

    In C: C – Dm – F – G

    In G: G – Am – C – DIn D: D – Em – G – A

  3. Descending ballad

    I – V – vi – V – IV – I – IV – V

    Walks gently down from I through vi to IV — the shape of many slow folk and singer-songwriter songs.

    In C: C – G – Am – G – F – C – F – G

    In G: G – D – Em – D – C – G – C – DIn D: D – A – Bm – A – G – D – G – A

  4. Classic minor

    i – iv – V – i

    The major V (from the harmonic minor) pulls strongly back to i.

    In Am: Am – Dm – E – Am

    In Em: Em – Am – B – EmIn Dm: Dm – Gm – A – Dm

  5. Natural minor folk

    i – iv – v – i

    Only minor chords, with a soft minor v — old, modal and sorrowful.

    In Am: Am – Dm – Em – Am

    In Em: Em – Am – Bm – EmIn Dm: Dm – Gm – Am – Dm

Why they work

In the keys guitarists use most — G, C, D, A and E — every chord here can be played as an open chord, which is why these progressions are campfire favourites.

The minor progressions use only minor chords (i, iv and a minor v), which gives them an older, modal sound than the major V of classical music.

See them on the circle of fifths · Chord charts · Metronome

More chord progressions