Diatonic Chord Scale, Up and Back · Exercises

C · Dm · Em · F · G · Am · Bdim · C · Bdim · Am · G · F · Em · Dm

I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii in the key of C

Going up is the easy half. Coming back down is where you find out which changes you actually know, because the ones your hand has learned in one direction are exactly the ones that catch you in the other.

Four bars of diatonic chord scale, up and back in the key of C, written I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii and played let it ring at around 80 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 I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii 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.

• C I in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 5 strings
• Dm ii in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 4 strings
• Em iii at the 2nd fret, on all six strings
• F IV up at the 1st fret, spanning to the 3rd, on all six strings
• G V in open position, frets 2 to 3, on all six strings
• Am vi in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
• Bdim vii° in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 3 strings
• C I in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 5 strings
• Bdim vii° in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 3 strings
• Am vi in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
• G V in open position, frets 2 to 3, on all six strings
• F IV up at the 1st fret, spanning to the 3rd, on all six strings
• Em iii at the 2nd fret, on all six strings
• Dm ii in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 4 strings

How it should feel

Strum

Let it ring

Groove

None

Tempo

80 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.

More Exercises

• C · Dm · Em · F · G · Am · Bdim I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° in C — Diatonic Chord Scale (open chords)
• Cmaj7 · Dm7 · Em7 · Fmaj7 · G7 · Am7 · Bm7b5 Imaj7 · ii7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 · vi7 · viiø7 in C — Diatonic Chord Scale (sevenths)

Posted Sep 12, 2026. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.