Rock LoopChord progression · I – IV – V – IV
Simple rock and country loop — drives forward without resolving.
In C major
Why the Rock Loop progression works
Only the three strongest chords of the key, and the IV comes back instead of letting the loop finish on V. Simple, loud and easy for a whole band to follow.
Songs built on it, each in its own key:
- Wild Thing
- Twist and Shout
- La Bamba
- Hang On Sloopy
- Gloria
Heard in: Classic rockHard rockIndie rockPunkCountryFolk
How to play Rock Loop in C major
One voicing per chord, each the nearest to the chord before, so your hand stays in one spot. Open any chord in the chord library for every other way to play it.
Rock Loop chords in all 12 keys
The same numerals in every key. Each chord opens in the chord library, and each key plays in the progression builder.
What scale to play over Rock Loop
Over the whole progression in C major: C Major, C Major pentatonic. To follow every chord, switch to the scale the progression builder picks for it.
| Chord | Scale over it |
|---|---|
| I · C | C Major |
| IV · F | F Lydian |
| V · G | G Mixolydian |
Rock Loop questions
What are the chords of the Rock Loop progression?
I – IV – V – IV. In C major that is C, F, G, F; in G major it is G, C, D, C.
Which songs use the Rock Loop progression?
Wild Thing, Twist and Shout, La Bamba, Hang On Sloopy and Gloria, each in its own key.
What scale do you play over the Rock Loop progression?
C Major and C Major pentatonic fit the whole progression in C major. Chord by chord: C Major over C, F Lydian over F, G Mixolydian over G.
How do you play the Rock Loop progression in another key?
Keep the numerals and move every chord by the same distance. The table on this page spells it in all 12 keys, and each key opens in the progression builder.