Diatonic Chord Scale (sevenths) · Exercises

Cmaj7 · Dm7 · Em7 · Fmaj7 · G7 · Am7 · Bm7b5

Imaj7 · ii7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 · vi7 · viiø7 in the key of C

These seven are every chord the {key} scale gives you without stepping outside it. Play them up and back down, and after a few passes you start to hear where a song in this key is likely to go next.

Four bars of diatonic chord scale (sevenths) in the key of C, written Imaj7 · ii7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 · vi7 · viiø7 and played let it ring at around 72 beats per minute. The chord shapes are below, and you can hear the whole thing play — and slow it down — without an account.

Practice this progression →

Opens in the Progression Lab. No account, nothing to sign in to — ten minutes of playback a day, and an hour with a free account.

What the chords are

This is Imaj7 · ii7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 · vi7 · viiø7 in the key of C — the degree of each chord is what makes the progression recognisable in any key, so the same four moves transpose anywhere once you know them by number.

• Cmaj7 Imaj7 in open position, frets 2 to 3, on 5 strings
• Dm7 ii7 in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 4 strings
• Em7 iii7 at the 2nd fret, on all six strings
• Fmaj7 IVmaj7 in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 4 strings
• G7 V7 in open position, frets 1 to 3, on all six strings
• Am7 vi7 in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
• Bm7b5 viiø7 up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 3rd, on 4 strings

How it should feel

Strum

Let it ring

Groove

None

Tempo

72 bpm

Key

C

Voicings

Campfire

Big open grips and barres — the whole-hand chords everyone starts on.

The shapes

Low E on the left, high e on the right. 0 is an open string, × is one you do not play.

Posted Sep 10, 2026. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.