In
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
, I–IV–V–I or IV–V–I is a
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...
and
cadence
In Classical music, Western musical theory, a cadence () is the end of a Phrase (music), phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution (music), resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don ...
that, "unequivocally defines the point of origin and the total system, the
key."
[ Jonas, Oswald (1982). ''Introduction to the Theory of ]Heinrich Schenker
Heinrich Schenker (19 June 1868 – 14 January 1935) was an Austrian music theory, music theorist #Theoretical writings, whose writings have had a profound influence on subsequent musical analysis. His approach, now termed Schenkerian analysis ...
'' (1934: ''Das Wesen des musikalischen Kunstwerks: Eine Einführung in Die Lehre Heinrich Schenkers''), p. 23. Trans. John Rothgeb. . Composers often begin pieces with this progression as an exposition of the
tonality
Tonality is the arrangement of pitch (music), pitches and / or chord (music), chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived ''relations'', ''stabilities'', ''attractions'', and ''directionality''.
In this hierarchy, the single pitch or ...
:
According to theorist
Oswald Jonas
Oswald Jonas (January 10, 1897 – March 19, 1978) was a music theorist and musicologist, and student of Heinrich Schenker. Despite Schenker's conservative nationalist views Jonas was an admirer of Karl Kraus.
In 1935, Jonas founded the Schenker ...
, "
ong with motion toward the fifth (V), IV
he subdominant">subdominant.html" ;"title="he subdominant">he subdominantappears as a corrective, depriving V (the dominant (music)">dominant) of its independence and pointing it back in the direction of its origin [I]."
In the
key of C, IV provides the note F and eliminates the possibility of G major, which requires F.
The progression is also often used at the
end of works and sections.
A popular variant is vi–IV–V–I, commonly known as the , namesake of
Tetsuya Komuro
is a Japanese musician, songwriter and record producer. He is recognized as the most successful producer in Japanese music history and has introduced contemporary electronic dance music to the Japanese mainstream. He was also a former owner of t ...
who popularised the progression.
See also
*
Predominant chord
In music theory, a predominant chord (also pre-dominant) is any chord which normally resolves to a dominant chord.Benward & Saker (2009). ''Music in Theory and Practice: Volume II'', Glossary, p.359. Eighth Edition. . "Any chord in functional ...
*
Three-chord song
A three-chord song is a song whose music is built around three chords that are played in a certain sequence. A common type of three-chord song is the simple twelve-bar blues used in blues and rock and roll.
Typically, the three chords used are th ...
*
V–IV–I turnaround
*
ii–V–I progression
The ii–V–I progression ("two–five–one progression") (occasionally referred to as ii–V–I turnaround, and ii–V–I) is a common Cadence, cadential chord progression used in a wide variety of music genres, including jazz harmony. It is ...
*
Ragtime progression
The ragtime progression is a chord progression characterized by a chain of secondary dominants following the circle of fifths, named for its popularity in the ragtime genre, despite being much older. Also typical of parlour music, its use origina ...
Sources
Cadences
Chord progressions
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