Rock Chord Progressions

Rock grew out of the blues and kept its three-chord core, then added borrowed chords like ♭VII and ♭VI that give it its big, open sound.

Play them in C major — or pick another key

Three-chord rock in C major

I, IV and V — the three major chords of the key and the foundation of rock 'n' roll. 4 bars, then it loops.

90 BPM
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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

9 rock progressions

  1. Three-chord rock

    I – IV – V – IV

    I, IV and V — the three major chords of the key and the foundation of rock 'n' roll.

    In C: C – F – G – F

    In G: G – C – D – CIn D: D – G – A – G

  2. I–V–IV rock

    I – V – IV (2 bars)

    Up to V, then down to IV for two bars — a big, open rock sound.

    In C: C – G – F

    In G: G – D – CIn D: D – A – G

  3. Mixolydian rock

    I – ♭VII – IV – I

    The borrowed ♭VII gives a classic-rock, slightly bluesy feel.

    In C: C – B♭ – F – C

    In G: G – F – C – GIn D: D – C – G – D

  4. Heroic cadence

    I – ♭VI – ♭VII – I

    Two borrowed major chords climbing back home — big, triumphant and used in rock and game music.

    In C: C – A♭ – B♭ – C

    In G: G – E♭ – F – GIn D: D – B♭ – C – D

  5. Bittersweet

    I – III – IV – iv

    A surprise major III, then IV turning minor — a classic sound of alternative rock ballads.

    In C: C – E – F – Fm

    In G: G – B – C – CmIn D: D – F♯ – G – Gm

  6. Falling ♭VII–♭VI

    I – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII

    Two borrowed chords stepping down and back — wistful in a major key.

    In C: C – B♭ – A♭ – B♭

    In G: G – F – E♭ – FIn D: D – C – B♭ – C

  7. Minor rock

    i – VI – VII – i

    Climbs from VI through VII back to i — a staple of rock and metal.

    In Am: Am – F – G – Am

    In Em: Em – C – D – EmIn Dm: Dm – B♭ – C – Dm

  8. Minor circle loop

    i – iv – VII – III

    Moves round the circle of fifths in the minor key.

    In Am: Am – Dm – G – C

    In Em: Em – Am – D – GIn Dm: Dm – Gm – C – F

  9. Minor sway

    i – VII – VI – VII

    Rocks down two steps and back up — dark, hypnotic and easy to play.

    In Am: Am – G – F – G

    In Em: Em – D – C – DIn Dm: Dm – C – B♭ – C

Why they work

The ♭VII chord (B♭ in the key of C) doesn't belong to the major scale — it is borrowed from the parallel minor. That one chord is why I–♭VII–IV sounds like classic rock rather than pop.

Rock guitarists often play these as power chords (root and fifth only), which makes the borrowed chords sit comfortably next to the others and lets the riff, not the chord quality, carry the song.

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

More chord progressions