Songs You Can Play with Em, C, G, D
Popular guitar songs built on the Em–C–G–D progression, a common shape that's great for jamming and practice.
The Em–C–G–D progression uses just 4 chords (Em, C, G, and D) and powers 1,084 of the most-played songs on ChordLines. It's one of the most common progressions in pop, rock and worship, so learning it unlocks a huge amount of music at once. The songs below all use these chords; try Honky Cat and Touching Heaven Changing Earth to hear it in action.
- 361 D+ 921
- 362 G 920
- 363 C 920
- 364 Em 920
- 365 C 919
- 366 G 919
- 367 G 919
- 368 Em 919
- 369 E 917
- 370 Em 917
- 371 G 916
- 372 Em 916
- 373 G 915
- 374 C 915
- 375 G 914
- 376 G 914
- 377 G 914
- 378 G 914
- 379 C 913
- 380 Am 913
- 381 G 913
- 382 G 912
- 383 Dm 912
- 384 G 911
- 385 D 911
- 386 A 910
- 387 C 910
- 388 G 910
- 389 G 910
- 390 D 909
- 391 G 909
- 392 G 908
- 393 Em 908
- 394 G 908
- 395 G 907
- 396 C 907
- 397 C 907
- 398 A 906
- 399 G 906
- 400 Fadd 904
- 401 G 903
- 402 G 903
- 403 Em 903
- 404 D 903
- 405 G 902
- 406 G 902
- 407 G 902
- 408 C 902
- 409 G 902
- 410 Am 902
- 411 B 901
- 412 E 901
- 413 Em 900
- 414 G 900
- 415 Am 900
- 416 G 899
- 417 G 899
- 418 G 898
- 419 G 897
- 420 G 897
Frequently asked questions
What songs use the Em–C–G–D progression?
Popular examples include Honky Cat, Touching Heaven Changing Earth, and Flora-bama, along with everything else in the list above.
Is the Em–C–G–D progression easy to play?
Yes, it's built entirely from beginner-friendly open chords, which makes it a great first progression to master.
Can I play these songs in a different key?
Yes. Open any song and use the transpose buttons to shift it up or down. The chords and diagrams update automatically, so you can match your voice or a capo.