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Chord progression · D♭ major

Pachelbel’s Canon (I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V) in D♭ major

An eight-chord sequence from the 1600s that pop writers still borrow. The bass walks down step by step while the chords above it flow smoothly.

Heard in Canon in D – Johann Pachelbel and many more.

Chords in D♭ major
D♭→A♭→B♭m→Fm→G♭→D♭→G♭→A♭
Numerals
IVviiiiIVIIVV

Play along

8 bars of 4 beats, looping · pick a key above to transpose

1D♭I
2A♭V
3B♭mvi
4Fmiii
5G♭IV
6D♭I
7G♭IV
8A♭V

Strum pattern: ↓   ↓↑  ↑↓↑ (down, down-up, up-down-up) — count “1 2 & 3 & 4 &”. Learn this strum →

The chords

I D♭
4fr×1D♭2A♭3D♭4F1A♭
1A♭2D♭3F4D♭
C4FD♭A♭D♭ F A♭
V A♭
4fr1A♭3E♭4A♭2C1E♭1A♭
1A♭2E♭4A♭3C
CE♭A♭A♭/C
vi B♭m
×1B♭3F4B♭2D♭1F
3B♭1D♭1F1B♭
C4FD♭B♭B♭m/D♭
iii Fm
1F3C4F1A♭1C1F
1A♭C2F3C
CFA♭Fm/C
IV G♭
1G♭3D♭4G♭2B♭1D♭1G♭
4B♭1D♭3G♭2B♭
C4B♭D♭G♭G♭/B♭

Piano voicings use inversions so each chord is as close as possible to the one before — your hand barely moves. Switch to “Root position” to compare.

I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V in every key

CD♭DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭B

More progressions in D♭ major

I–V–vi–IVI–IV–V–IVI–vi–IV–Vvi–IV–I–V12-bar bluesii–V–II–vi–ii–VI–♭VII–IV–I