Pop pop axis progression on electric guitar
What is the Pop pop axis progression?
The Pop pop axis progression is C, G, Am and F (I–V–vi–IV), in the key of C major. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → dominant → tonic → subdominant, cycling as a vamp with no full cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Good music works like a good walk: you leave, get a little lost on purpose, and come back. The map of this one: C (I, home) → G (V, time to come back) → Am (vi, home) → F (IV, the stroll). Press play and follow along — at the "time to come back" chord, notice the physical urge to hear C again — the home chord.
Electric guitar
On an electric guitar you rarely have to cover the low bass yourself, because in a band the bass player takes that job, so your chords can sit higher and cleaner. This is the electric guitar's home ground: pop, rock, blues, funk and soul were shaped around its sound, whether you strum full chords or play short, tight chord stabs behind the singer. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on C and rings 2 open strings.
Circle of Fifths: See the key's diatonic chords and its secondary dominants · see it in Chord and Fret
Save this progression in Chord and Fret♪ The groove underneath is the tresillo: 3+3+2. Count "one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two" tapping your leg and you've found the engine of half the world's pop.
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of C. In the app, every chord in this progression comes with its other shapes and audio, free. Open in Chord and Fret →
Metronome: Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · open in Chord and Fret