Diatonic Fourths · Exercises

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

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

Adam assigns this to his students all the time. Each chord sits four steps up from the last, and every one of them belongs to {key}. Watch the move from {r2} to {r3}: every other jump here is a plain perfect fourth, but that one is a half step wider, because the note that would make it plain is not in the key. That is the augmented fourth, and it is the reason this drill is worth doing exactly as written. Try it in every key you play in.

Four bars of diatonic fourths in the key of C, written Imaj7 · IVmaj7 · viiø7 · iii7 · vi7 · ii7 · V7 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 · IVmaj7 · viiø7 · iii7 · vi7 · ii7 · V7 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
• Fmaj7 IVmaj7 in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 4 strings
• Bm7b5 viiø7 up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 3rd, on 4 strings
• Em7 iii7 at the 2nd fret, on all six strings
• Am7 vi7 in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
• Dm7 ii7 in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 4 strings
• G7 V7 in open position, frets 1 to 3, on all six 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.

More 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 C — Diatonic Chord Scale, Up and Back
• 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 13, 2026. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.