Chord Progression

The Royal Road

IV – V – iii – vi

The 王道進行 — the bright-then-bittersweet turn behind J-pop and anime.

Key

The chords in C Major

4 shapes to learn — tap any diagram to hear it on guitar or piano.

IVF

F · A · C

G · B · D

iiiEm

E · G · B

viAm

A · C · E

How it works

Known in Japan as ōdō shinkō, the "royal road" progression. It opens not on the tonic but on the IV, which gives an immediate sense of lift and motion, then rises to the V.

The clever move is what follows: instead of resolving V to I, it slips to the iii and then the vi. That iii → vi is a gentle deceptive turn — the ear expects home and gets the relative minor instead, which is why the progression feels bright and wistful at once.

It is everywhere in J-pop, city pop and anime themes precisely because it delivers a big emotional swell without ever fully landing.

J-popAnimeCity pop

Songs built on it

A few well-known examples — every one of them the same chords, moving in the same order.

Cruel Angel's Thesis— Yoko Takahashi
Lemon— Kenshi Yonezu
Pretender— Official HIGE DANdism

IV – V – iii – vi in every key

The same numerals, twelve different sets of letters. Tap a key to explore all its chords.

C Major	FGEmAm
D♭ Major	G♭A♭FmB♭m
D Major	GAF♯mBm
E♭ Major	A♭B♭GmCm
E Major	ABG♯mC♯m
F Major	B♭CAmDm
F♯ Major	BC♯A♯mD♯m
G Major	CDBmEm
A♭ Major	D♭E♭CmFm
A Major	DEC♯mF♯m
B♭ Major	E♭FDmGm
B Major	EF♯D♯mG♯m

Take it further

Solo over it: the C Major scale on the fretboard All the chords in the key of C Major Why chords are numbered with Roman numerals See how keys relate on the Circle of Fifths

More progressions

The Four-Chord SongI – V – vi – IV The Sensitive Progressionvi – IV – I – V Pachelbel's CanonI – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V

Learn

Play

Practice

Reference