Finding the right chord progression is one of the most frustrating parts of learning guitar—until you understand the pattern. Once you know the simple formula that works in every key, you’ll never be stuck again. In my experience, knowing how to build chord progressions in the key of C, G, D, and A opens up hundreds of songs you can play.
How the Chord Progression Pattern Works
Every major key has six main chords that follow the same pattern: Major, minor, minor, Major, Major, minor. That’s it. Once you memorize this pattern, you can find the chord progression in the key of C, or any other key, in seconds.
Here’s what’s happening under the hood: the scale degrees are numbered 1 through 7, and each degree gets its own chord. The pattern of intervals between the notes—tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone—determines whether each chord will be major or minor. But you don’t need to memorize all that. Just remember the pattern, and you’re golden.
Let me show you how this works in the keys we’re focusing on today.
Chord Progression in the Key of C
C is a great starting point because it has no sharps or flats. Here are the six chords you get when you apply the Major-minor-minor-Major-Major-minor pattern:
You can build thousands of songs with just these six chords. They work together because they all come from the same parent scale. Mix and match them however you like, and you’ll always sound good.
Chord Progression Key of G
Now let’s look at the chord progression key of G. Notice how the same pattern applies:
Same pattern, different notes. This is the power of understanding scale degrees instead of memorizing individual progressions. You’re not learning songs—you’re learning a system that unlocks every song in a given key.
Keys of D and A
Let’s dig into the keys of D and A in this next video:
Chord Progression in the Key of D
Here’s what you get in D:
Notice F#m in there? That’s where it starts getting trickier. When you move into keys with sharps and flats, you’ll need barre chords to play them cleanly. It’s worth learning them because these keys are everywhere in modern music.
Chord Progression in the Key of A
Finally, here’s the chord progression in the key of A:
A has two sharps in the key signature, which means you’re dealing with more barre chords. But once you’ve got those down, these keys become just as playable as C and G.
Using These Progressions in Real Songs
Now that you know how to build these progressions, let’s talk about how songwriters actually use them. Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” uses the first five chords in the key of G: G, Am, Bm, C, and D. That’s no accident. Dylan understood that certain combinations of chords create specific moods and energy.
Once you know all six chords in a key, you can experiment with different sequences. A 6-5-4 progression (like Bm-A-G) has a different feel than 1-5-6-4. The more you experiment with chord progressions, the more you’ll develop your ear for what works.
If you’re still building your chord vocabulary, check out our guide to beginner chords. And if you’re into blues, you’ll want to explore blues chords, which use a slightly different approach but draw from the same foundational concepts.
The truth is, understanding how to build a chord progression in the key of C, G, D, or A is just the beginning. Once you’ve got the pattern locked down, start playing. Write some progressions. See what sounds good to you. That’s how you really learn.