Theory 6 min·beginner
The Major Scale (Why C-G-Am-F Works)
A 5-minute primer on why the four most-used chords in pop music are the four most-used chords in pop music.
The major scale is a sequence of seven notes built from the pattern W W H W W W H (W = whole step / 2 frets, H = half step / 1 fret).
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives you the diatonic chords: I ii iii IV V vi vii°. In C: C Dm Em F G Am Bdim.
The famous four
I-V-vi-IV (C-G-Am-F in the key of C) is the chord progression behind hundreds of pop hits. Now you know why — they all live inside the same scale.
Self-check
Did you complete the drill above and feel confident with this lesson?
Sources & attribution
- Wikipedia · Major scale · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikibooks · Music Theory / Scales · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lesson copy © Free Chord Book. Content adapted from sources marked CC BY-SA 4.0 is itself shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.