I-IV-V-I Chord Progression (Right Hand)

C, F, G, C as block chords with smooth voice leading between them.

Level:
4 of 6
Hands:
Right hand
Key:
C major
Notes:
12
Range:
B3 to A4
One run:
about 7 seconds at 80 bpm

The notes, in order

4 moments, 12 notes in total, some struck together.

  1. C4 + E4 + G4
  2. C4 + F4 + A4
  3. B3 + D4 + G4
  4. C4 + E4 + G4

How to practise it

  1. Every chord shares a note with the next, so the hand barely moves
  2. C is 1-3-5, F is 1-4-5 in this voicing, G is 1-2-5
  3. These three chords carry thousands of songs

The scale behind it

This one is built on the C Major scale: C D E F G A B (no sharps or flats). Its right-hand fingering runs 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, and the scale page has the full diagram if you want to hear the shape on its own first.

How to play it here

Play along on the keys with your mouse, your computer keyboard, a touch screen, or a MIDI keyboard you have plugged in. Every key can show its own name, and the metronome will hold the tempo while you work through the 12 notes.

What it trains

  • chords
  • blocks
  • progression

More arpeggios & chords

Broken and blocked chords: the same shapes your left hand will spend most of its life playing.

All piano exercises