Mandolin · chord progressions

Rock chord progressions

The progressions of rock: rock and roll, power chord riffs, the ♭VII of classic rock, minor rock and punk. Each in numerals, so it works in any key; press Play to hear it on mandolin.

Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Rock and roll

I | IV | V | IV

Chord chart The chords of A major ›

I, IV, V and back to IV: the three chords of rock and roll, turned into a riff that goes round and round.

The power chord riff

I5 | ♭VII5 | IV5 | I5

Chord chart The chords of E major ›

Power chords, roots and fifths with no third, on I, ♭VII and IV: the riff shape of hard rock.

Mixolydian rock

I | ♭VII | IV | I

Chord chart The chords of A major ›

I–♭VII–IV, each chord a fourth below the last: the anthem sound of classic rock.

Minor rock

i | VII | VI | VII

Chord chart The chords of E minor ›

Rocking between the minor tonic and the major chords below it: dark and driving, from hard rock to metal.

Dorian rock

i | III | VII | IV

Chord chart The chords of E minor ›

A minor key with a major IV, the Dorian colour: moody, but with a lift.

The rock anthem

I | ♭VI | ♭VII | I

Chord chart The chords of C major ›

Up from ♭VI through ♭VII to the tonic: the big stadium ending.

The blues-rock turn

I | ♭III | IV | I

Chord chart The chords of E major ›

A major key with the ♭III chord borrowed from the blues scale: the swagger of blues rock.

Punk power chords

I5 | V5 | vi5 | IV5

Chord chart The chords of D major ›

The four chords of pop as power chords, fast and loud: the pop-punk progression.

The garage riff

I | IV | I | IV

Chord chart The chords of E major ›

Two chords a fourth apart, back and forth: the simplest rock riff of all.

The minor riff

i5 | III5 | IV5 | i5

Chord chart The chords of G minor ›

Power chords on i, ♭III and IV: a riff shape behind a great deal of hard rock.

The metal gallop

i5 | VI5 | VII5 | i5

Chord chart The chords of E minor ›

Power chords stepping up from ♭VI through ♭VII to the minor tonic: the climb of heavy metal.

The falling riff

i | VII | VI | V

Chord chart The chords of A minor ›

Four chords stepping down to a major V, the Andalusian cadence played as a rock riff.

I–V–IV

I | V | IV | IV

Chord chart The chords of D major ›

The chords of rock and roll in a different order, ending on IV: open and anthemic.

Phrygian metal

i5 | ♭II5 | i5 | ♭II5

Chord chart The chords of E minor ›

The minor tonic and the chord a half step above it, as power chords: the dark sound of metal.

What chords are used in rock music?

The I, IV and V of rock and roll, and chords borrowed from outside the major key: ♭VII, ♭VI and ♭III, from the mixolydian mode, the minor key and the blues. Played as power chords (the root and fifth only) they suit distortion, which makes full chords sound muddy.

What is a power chord?

A chord of just the root and the fifth, written with a 5, such as E5 or A5. With no third it is neither major nor minor, which is why it fits over any riff.

How to make these sound like rock

Choose the Overdrive sound, the Down eighths pattern, and a tempo of 120 or more. For a riff, loop a progression and play the root notes on the low strings between the chords.

More: the 12 bar blues, pop chord progressions, film chord progressions.