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VII. Popular Music
Four-Chord Schemas

### Core Idea

I, IV, V, and vi are the most common harmonies in pop music, and they can be arranged into several schemas, each with a distinct sound. Each schema can have variations, such as chord substitution or rotation, while still remaining recognizable as that schema. The doo-wop schema is [[B]]I–vi–IV–V[[/B]], and it was common in 1960s pop music. Common variations:

### Explanation

I, IV, V, and vi are the most common harmonies in pop music, and they can be arranged into several schemas, each with a distinct sound. Each schema can have variations, such as chord substitution or rotation, while still remaining recognizable as that schema.

The doo-wop schema is I–vi–IV–V, and it was common in 1960s pop music. Common variations:

I–vi–ii–V (ii substitutes for IV)

IV–V–I–vi (rotation)

The singer/songwriter schema is vi–IV–I–V or I–V–vi–IV, and it was common in 1990s singer/songwriter music. It can also be understood in its relative minor: i–VI–III–VII. A common variation is IV–I–V–vi (rotation).

The hopscotch schema is IV–V–vi–I, and it is common in recent pop music (since 2010). It can also be understood in its relative minor: VI–VII–i–III. A common variation is VI–V–i–III (V substitutes for VII in minor).

Chapter Playlist

The progressions discussed in this chapter all have something in common. They use the same four chords: I, IV, V, and vi, which are probably the most common chords in all of pop music. Because of this, they all sound somewhat similar; the difference is in the order of the chords.

Doo-wop

Example 1 shows music notation, chord symbols, and Roman numerals for the doo-wop schema: I–vi–IV–V, or C–Ami–F–G in C major.

Example 1. The doo-wop schema (left) and a common variation of it that replaces IV with ii (right).

The name for this cyclical chord progression comes from its common use in rock ballads from the 1950s and early 1960s, such as “Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler (1962). However, it has continued to be used frequently ever since: examples include the verse and chorus of “Friday” by Rebecca Black (2011) and the chorus of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler (1983) (starts at 0:49).

Substituting ii for IV

Because ii and IV share the same function in this chord progression, ii can be swapped out for IV, as in Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" (1966).

Rotation

Because the doo-wop schema is typically employed in cycles, it can also start on a different chord in the cycle and then proceed through the same succession of chords (rotation). For example, “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay (2008) works through a cyclical repetition of the same succession of chords, but the phrases begin on IV rather than I (Example 2).

Example 2. Rotated doo-wop progression in Coldplay, "Viva la Vida."

Singer/Songwriter

The singer/songwriter schema may be the best known of all the four-chord schemas. A common Roman numeral analysis for this schema is vi–IV–I–V, or Ami–F–C–G in C major, but the rotation starting with I is also exceedingly common. On top of that, either rotation may be understood as having either the major tonic or the relative minor tonic. This is best understood through Example 3.

Example 3. The singer/songwriter schema in its two common rotations.

Like the 1950s doo-wop, this is a four-chord cyclical progression. It has been around for some time and can be found in a variety of musical styles, but it became increasingly common beginning in the mid-1990s with singer/songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, and Joan Osborne,

Tonal ambiguity

One important feature of this progression is that it does not, on its own, clearly communicate a definitive tonic chord. This property is known as tonal ambiguity. An example is "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (2017). The chord progression, Bmi–G–D–A, can sound like vi–IV–I–V in D major or like i–VI–III–VII in B minor to different listeners (Example 4). One reason the singer/songwriter schema is ambiguous is because there is no authentic cadence: the two potential cadential motions are either plagal (IV–I) or stepwise (VII–i). Without a strong harmonic cadence, listeners might only be able to determine the tonic chord—if at all—by the progressions before and after the singer/songwriter schema, which chords in the cycle begin and end it, and the important pitches of the melody.

Example 4. Both D major and B minor are plausible tonic chords for "Despacito" because of its use of the tonally ambiguous singer/songwriter schema.

In fact, some songwriters take advantage of this duality in songs that modulate back and forth between relative major and minor keys, as well as in songs with some parallel ambiguity in the text (hence its usefulness for those mid-1990s songwriters). An example is “What About Love” by Heart (1982), which has an obvious D minor intro, a D minor/F major verse (begins at 0:23) using the singer/songwriter progression, and a chorus obviously in F major (begins at 1:10)—listen while following along with the chart below (Example 5).

https://open.spotify.com/track/5nN1jGnCadYk1jYm6oV5zN?si=3l_XloKJTYuLseHCr2FDkQ

Rotations

As discussed above, this schema has two equally common rotations that start the progression on I and vi. From time to time, the singer/songwriter progression might also begin on the IV chord, resulting in a “deceptive” variant of this progression that ends with V–vi—a deceptive cadence (IV–I–V–vi). The chorus (starts at 1:11) of ["Alejandro" by Lady Gaga](https://open.spotify.c

### Key Quote

I, IV, V, and vi are the most common harmonies in pop music, and they can be arranged into several schemas, each with a distinct sound.

### Application Scenarios

Example 1 shows music notation, chord symbols, and Roman numerals for the doo-wop schema: [[B]]I–vi–IV–V, [[/B]]or [[B]]C–Ami–F–G [[/B]]in C major.

Example 1. The doo-wop schema (left) and a common variation of it that replaces IV with ii (right).

The name for this cyclical chord progression comes from its common use in rock ballads from the 1950s and early 1960s, such as [“Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler](https://open.spotify.com/track/6Hy22YDN9HJMRlJP1LwnJy?si=fv7w9yseRUe2hs8V0dHRDQ) (1962). However, it has continued to be used frequently ever since: examples include the verse and chorus of [“Friday” by Rebecca Black](https://open.spotify.com/track/4fK6E2UywZTJIa5kWnCD6x?si=5FDAmsoETiO6ZQzg4CWYBg) (2011) and the chorus of [“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler](https://open.spotify.com/track/5prTs2HAw2G4idHZyeFp8o?si=3SEREINnQcafYPKou2UheQ) (1983) (starts at 0:49).

Because ii and IV share the same function in this chord progression, ii can be swapped out for IV, as in [Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness"](https://open.spotify.com/track/36AlMHDBFwSsD3FQOy1R81?si=0BcwzwIeQlOLiy6mPx7JrA) (1966).

### Key Terminology

singer/songwriter schema Roman numeral analysis chord substitution hopscotch schema Roman numerals doo-wop schema chord symbols repetition function relative schema chorus

### Related Links

Chapter Playlist“Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler“Friday” by Rebecca Black“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness"“Viva la Vida” by Coldplay Sarah McLachlan Jewel Joan Osborne"Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee
Source: https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/4-chord-schemas/
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