Diatonic Chord Scale, Up and Back · Exercises
F · Gm · Am · Bb · C · Dm · Edim · F · Edim · Dm · C · Bb · Am · Gm
I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii in the key of F
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 F, 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.
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 F. 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.
- F I up at the 1st fret, spanning to the 3rd, on all six strings
- Gm ii up at the 3rd fret, spanning to the 5th, on all six strings
- Am iii in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
- Bb IV up at the 1st fret, spanning to the 3rd, on 5 strings
- C V in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 5 strings
- Dm vi in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 4 strings
- Edim vii° in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 4 strings
- F I up at the 1st fret, spanning to the 3rd, on all six strings
- Edim vii° in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 4 strings
- Dm vi in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 4 strings
- C V in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 5 strings
- Bb IV up at the 1st fret, spanning to the 3rd, on 5 strings
- Am iii in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
- Gm ii up at the 3rd fret, spanning to the 5th, on all six strings
How it should feel
- Strum
- Let it ring
- Groove
- None
- Tempo
- 80 bpm
- Key
- F
- 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.
| Chord | E | A | D | G | B | e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Gm | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Am | × | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Bb | × | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| C | × | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dm | × | × | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Edim | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | × | × |
| F | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Edim | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | × | × |
| Dm | × | × | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| C | × | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bb | × | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Am | × | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Gm | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
More Exercises
- F · Gm · Am · Bb · C · Dm · Edim I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° in F · Diatonic Chord Scale (open chords)
- Fmaj7 · Gm7 · Am7 · Bbmaj7 · C7 · Dm7 · Em7b5 Imaj7 · ii7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 · vi7 · viiø7 in F · Diatonic Chord Scale (sevenths)
- Cmaj7 · Fmaj7 · Bm7b5 · Em7 · Am7 · Dm7 · G7 Imaj7 · IVmaj7 · viiø7 · iii7 · vi7 · ii7 · V7 in C · Diatonic Fourths
- 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 C · Diatonic Chord Scale, Up and Back
Posted . Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.