Progressions
Vi–ii–V–I Chord Progression in A
F#m · Bm · E · A
The circle progression — roots falling by fifths all the way home.
Vi–ii–V–I Chord Progression in A
F#m · Bm · E · A
- Key
- A
- Roman numerals
- vi–ii–V–I
- Notes
- 7
Songs that use it
Fly Me to the Moon
Bart Howard
I Will Survive
Gloria Gaynor
Autumn Leaves
Joseph Kosma
Understanding A vi–ii–V–I
Why it works
In A the progression is F#m · Bm · E · A. Each root falls a perfect fifth to the next, so the whole progression is one continuous stretch of the strongest root motion there is.
It is effectively a ii–V–I with one extra chord in front, which extends the approach and makes the eventual arrival feel more earned.
How to use it
It is the standard turnaround at the end of a jazz chorus, setting up the return to the top. Making the vi a dominant seventh instead of a minor chord turns it into a secondary dominant, VI7, which sharpens the pull toward the ii.
Extending the chain further backwards — iii–vi–ii–V–I — gives the full circle progression used throughout the Songbook.
Learn this properly
Chapter 14: Chromatic HarmonyCommon questions
- What chords are in the vi–ii–V–I progression in A?
- In A the progression is F#m · Bm · E · A. Move it to any key with the chord transposer.
- What is a circle progression?
- One where each root falls a perfect fifth to the next, following the circle of fifths. It is the strongest and most directional root motion in tonal harmony.
- What is a turnaround?
- A short progression at the end of a chorus that leads back to the top. vi–ii–V–I is the most common one in jazz.