The progression
I – vi – IV – V: in C, C – Am – F – G. It is the “50s progression” or doo-wop progression, because it dominates African American vocal music and rock'n'roll of the 1950s and early '60s. A very close variant is I – vi – ii – V (C – Am – Dm – G), the jazz turnaround.
Examples
- The Penguins, Earth Angel (1954).
- Ben E. King, Stand by Me (1961): A – F#m – D – E.
- Hoagy Carmichael, Heart and Soul (1938): the famous piano duet, in both I – vi – IV – V and I – vi – ii – V versions.
- Blue Moon (Rodgers & Hart, 1934): I – vi – ii – V.
- The Police, Every Breath You Take (1983): A – F#m – D – E (with a different bridge).
- Unchained Melody: uses I – vi – IV – V in the verse.
Analysis
| Chord | C | Am | F | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | I | vi | IV | V |
| Function | T | Tp | S | D |
- All three functions in succession, closed by a dominant that returns to I: a complete T – T – S – D cycle.
- The bass C – A – F – G descends by thirds and then rises by step: simple and singable.
- The vi adds the touch of “romantic” melancholy typical of slow 1950s songs.
I – vi – IV – V versus I – vi – ii – V
| I – vi – IV – V | I – vi – ii – V | |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | C A F G | C A D G |
| Motion | IV → V by step | ii → V by fifth (more “jazz”) |
| Color | pop, rock'n'roll | standard, swing |
The version with ii is the basis of rhythm changes and turnarounds.
Doo-wop arrangement
- Tempo: 60–80 BPM in 12/8 (slow) or 4/4 swing; the piano plays triplets of repeated chords.
- Backing vocals: nonsense syllables (“doo-wop,” “sha-la-la,” “oo-wah”) on chord tones, often with the bass vocal singing the roots.
- Lead vocal in falsetto on the high phrases.
- Tenor saxophone on the solos.
Modern variants
- Inversions: C – Am/C – F – G (the C stays in the bass for two chords) or C – C/E – F – G (bass rising by step).
- Extensions: Cmaj7 – Am7 – Fmaj7 – G7sus4 – G7.
- With secondary dominant: C – A7 – Dm – G (I – VI7 – ii – V): more jazz.
- In recent pop: the progression returns in retro ballads and “vintage” pop (Bruno Mars, Amy Winehouse and Meghan Trainor often use I – vi – IV – V or I – vi – ii – V turnarounds).
Producer exercise
- 12/8 at 66 BPM, piano with triplets of chords C – Am – F – G (1 bar each).
- 3-voice backing vocals on “oo”: E – E – F – D (high voice), C – C – C – B (middle), G – A – A – G (low).
- Vocal bass or upright bass on the roots with passing notes (C – E – G – A over the C chord).
Related
Axis progression, rhythm changes, the jazz ii–V–I, vocal harmonies and choir voicings, pop progressions and loops.