Four Chord Pop Progressions - I V VI IV ( 1 5 6 4 )
PUBLISHED: Sep 16, 2013 • UPDATED: Jan 15, 2019 • LESSON CODE: UL59g • VISITS: 32
ANY ukulele Subjects: beginner • intermediate • advanced • progressions • songwriting • repertoire
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Four Chord Pop Progressions - I V VI IV ( 1 5 6 4 )
This is the most popular chrod pregression used today. It has replace the most common chord pregressions that was used in the 50s, the 1 6 25 progression.
In the key of C major this is: C G Am F.
In the Nashville Number System the sequence is:
1 5 6 4
A 2009 recording by the comedy group The Axis of Awesome, their “Four Chord Song”, in E major ( E B C#m A ), is a widely viewed clip on YouTube.
The V is often replaced by III. In the key of C major this is: C Em Am F.
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I V VI IV
In the key of C major this is: C G Am F.
A 2009 recording by the comedy group The Axis of Awesome, their "Four Chord Song", in E major ( E B C#m A ), is a widely viewed clip on YouTube.
The V is often replaced by III. In the key of C major this is: C Em Am F.
As you can see from the list here there are quite a few songs that use this progression.
- WidipediA: I V VI IV
If the 1 5 6 4 progression where in the key of C major the 1 6 4 5 chords are: C G Am F. For the key of G major the 1 5 6 4 chords are: G D Em C.
- A Ha - Take On Me
- Akon - Beautiful
- Akon - Don't Matter
- Alphaville - Forever Young
- Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye
- Aqua - Barbie Girl
- Avril Lavigne - Complicated
- Beyonce - If I Were A Boy
- Black Eyed Peas - Where Is the Love
- Bob Dylan - Wagon Wheel
- Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry
- Bon Jovi - It's My Life
- Dammit - Blink 182
- Dog Party - Best Friends
- Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
- Elton John - Can You Feel The Love Tonight (from The Lion King)
- Eminem featuring Rihanna - Love the Way You Lie
- Five for Fighting - Superman
- Green Day - When I Come Around
- Jack Johnson - Taylor
- James Blunt - You're Beautiful
- Jason DeRulo - In My Head
- Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
- Joan Osborne - One Of Us
- John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads
- Journey - Don't Stop Believing
- Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes
- Lady Gaga - Paparazzi
- Lady Gaga - Pokerface
- Lavern and Shirley TV Theme
- Lynard Skynard - Simple Man
- Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy
- Maroon Five - She Will Be Loved
- Men At Work - Land Down Under
- MGMT - Kids
- Missy Higgins - Scar
- Plain White Tees - 1234
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside
- Regina Spector - The Call
- Robert Burns - Auld Lang Syne
- Spice Girls - Two Become One
- The Axis of Awesome - Birdplane
- The Beatles - Let It Be
- The Calling - Wherever You Will Go
- The Gregory Brothers - Double Rainbow
- The Last Goodnight - Pictures of You
- The Offspring - Self Esteem
- The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far Kid
- The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings
- Theme from America's Funniest Home Videos
- Timberland featuring OneRepublic - Apologize
- Toto - Africa
- Train - Hey Soul Sister
- U2 - With Or Without You
Songs that part of the songs are using this progression.
- American Pie
- The Call - Regina Spektor
- Say - John Mayer, from the movie The Bucket List
- The Show - Lenka
- Over the Rainbow**
Here's a web site that has links to videos of many of the songs on this list.
As you can see you can learn quite a few songs by simply learning common chord progressions in all 15 keys. Especially the common keys of C, G, D, E, A. And on ukulele F and Bb are also common.
All 15 Keys ( 1 5 6 4 )
- |C | G/B* | Am | F |
Sharp Keys
- |G | G | D/F# | Em | C |
- |D | D | A/C# | Bm | G |
- |A | A | E/G# | F#m | D |
- |E | E | B/D# | C#m | A |
- |B | B | F#/A# | G#m | E |
- |F# | F# | C#/E# | D#m | B |
- |C# | C# | G#/B# | A#m | F# |
Flat Keys
- |F | F* | C/E | Dm | Bb |
- |Bb | Bb | F/A# | Gm | Eb |
- |Eb | Eb | Bb/D | Gm | Ab |
- |Ab | Ab | Eb/G | Fm | Db |
- |Db | Db | Ab/C | Bbm | Gb |
- |Gb | Gb | Db/F | Ebm | Cb |
- |Cb | Cb | Gb/Bb | Abm | Fb |
Slash Chords
Slash Chords - A slash chord is indication that a chord voicing with the note after the slash should be the bass note of the voicing. In the case of this common 1 5 6 4 progression is creates a descending bass line. On ukulele unless you using a low string four tuning slash chord are commonly ignored and the fundamental chord, the name before the slash are played.
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