Home · Song Guides · Four-Chord Pop Progression (I–V–vi–IV)
Learn the Four-Chord Pop Progression on Piano
D – A – B minor – F# minor: this four-chord loop powers hundreds of pop hits. Learn it once and you'll recognize it everywhere — it's the same skeleton as Pachelbel's Canon, three hundred years later.
Play bass with the left hand and triads with the right, two rounds, in Practice Mode. Chord groups wait for all four notes, so take your time placing fingers.
🎼 Key: D major
📊 Level: medium
🎵 64 notes
💡 Tip: start at 50% speed in Practice Mode
🎹 Four-Chord Pop Progression (I–V–vi–IV) — Notes to Play (in order)
D – A – Bm – F#m – G – D – G – A (×2, block chords with bass)
Notes marked with + play at the same time (two hands). Open the piano above, switch to Practice Mode, and follow the green highlights.
✅ 4 Tips to Learn It Faster
- Learn each chord shape separately before looping the progression.
- Keep common fingers down between chords (A carries over everywhere).
- Play the bass note first, then roll the triad slightly after.
- Loop it until boring — that muscle memory transfers to real pop songs.