Songs You Can Play with G, D, Em, C
Popular guitar songs built on the G–D–Em–C progression, a common shape that's great for jamming and practice.
The G–D–Em–C progression uses just 4 chords (G, D, Em, and C) 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 Risa and You Don't Know Me to hear it in action.
- 781 Am 793
- 782 C 793
- 783 G 793
- 784 Em 792
- 785 Em 792
- 786 A 792
- 787 D 792
- 788 C 792
- 789 G 792
- 790 Emm 790
- 791 F#r 790
- 792 Em 790
- 793 Eb 789
- 794 Am 789
- 795 Bb 789
- 796 E 789
- 797 C 789
- 798 D 789
- 799 G 788
- 800 G 788
- 801 D 788
- 802 G 788
- 803 G 788
- 804 Em 788
- 805 Bm 788
- 806 G 787
- 807 D 787
- 808 G 787
- 809 D 787
- 810 G 787
- 811 Em 787
- 812 D 787
- 813 G 787
- 814 Em 786
- 815 Em 786
- 816 Em 786
- 817 F 786
- 818 G 786
- 819 Em 786
- 820 Em 785
- 821 A# 785
- 822 Fm 785
- 823 G 785
- 824 D 785
- 825 G 784
- 826 Em 784
- 827 G 784
- 828 G 784
- 829 D 784
- 830 Em 783
- 831 Eb 783
- 832 G# 783
- 833 G 782
- 834 G 782
- 835 G 782
- 836 G 782
- 837 G 782
- 838 Db 782
- 839 D 782
- 840 C 782
Frequently asked questions
What songs use the G–D–Em–C progression?
Popular examples include Risa, You Don't Know Me, and Hallelujah, along with everything else in the list above.
Is the G–D–Em–C 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.