Roman numeral analysis describes chords by their position in the key, not their letter name. This lets you understand and transpose chord progressions in any key.
Uppercase = Major, lowercase = minor, ° = diminished
Diatonic Chords in C Major
Tap a chord above to see it on the piano
Chord Functions
Tonic (I, iii, vi)
Home — feels resolved and stable
Pre-Dominant (ii, IV)
Builds momentum toward the dominant
Dominant (V, vii°)
Tension — wants to resolve back to I
Common Progressions
Pop Progression
The most common progression in pop music
"Let It Be", "No Woman No Cry"
Classic
Foundation of Western harmony
Blues, folk, country
50s Progression
Classic doo-wop feel
"Stand By Me", "Earth Angel"
Andalusian Cadence
Descending minor progression
Flamenco, "Hit The Road Jack"
Jazz ii-V-I
The most important jazz cadence
Almost every jazz standard
Canon
Pachelbel's Canon progression
"Canon in D", many modern songs