Downloads / free PDF
Free chord progression chart (PDF)
One page, every common progression in Roman numerals with the chords written out in all twelve keys. Direct download, no email required, no signup.
Direct download. No email address, no account, no watermark.
This chart exists because the same twenty or so progressions account for an enormous share of popular, folk, blues, and jazz repertoire. Once you can see them side by side in Roman numerals, transposing stops being arithmetic and starts being pattern recognition.
What is on the chart
- The seven diatonic triads in every major key, with quality marked.
- The seven diatonic triads in every natural minor key.
- Sixteen common major-key progressions in Roman numerals, with the C major spelling alongside.
- Eight common minor-key progressions, same layout.
- The 12-bar blues in its standard and quick-change forms.
- A short reference for the most common secondary dominants.
The progressions worth memorising first
| Roman numerals | In C major | Where you have heard it |
|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV | C–G–Am–F | A very large share of pop since the 1990s |
| I–vi–IV–V | C–Am–F–G | Doo-wop, 1950s ballads |
| ii–V–I | Dm–G–C | The backbone of jazz harmony |
| I–IV–V | C–F–G | Blues, folk, early rock |
| vi–IV–I–V | Am–F–C–G | The same four chords starting on the minor |
| I–bVII–IV | C–Bb–F | Rock, via the mixolydian flat-7 |
Notice that rows one and five contain the same four chords in a different rotation. Recognising rotations rather than memorising each as a separate item cuts the learning load substantially.
How to use it
- Pick one progression and play it in three keys before moving on. Transposition is the skill; the chart is only a lookup.
- Say the Roman numerals aloud as you play. The numerals are what transfer between keys.
- Listen for the point of maximum tension. In most of these it is the V chord, and hearing that is the start of real progression recognition.
- Once a progression is comfortable, try substituting the relative minor for the tonic and hear what changes.
Related downloads
The circle of fifths PDF pairs naturally with this, because most of these progressions move between adjacent segments of the circle. The music theory cheat sheet covers intervals, scale construction, and key signatures on a single side.
Hear them before you print them
The chord progression generator plays any of these in any key, with the Roman numerals shown as it goes. Reading a chart teaches you the names; hearing it teaches you the sound.
Every download on this site is a direct PDF. No email capture, no account, no watermark. If you find an error in the chart, the contact page is the fastest way to tell us.
Some links in this article are affiliate links to Musical U, Pianote, ArtistWorks, Yousician, or Amazon Associates. If you subscribe or buy after clicking, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate revenue helps us keep the interactive tools and the essays free. It does not change what we recommend. Full policy at /affiliate-disclosure/.