Film · Beginner · minor key

Aeolian i–♭VI vamp

i – ♭VI — Two chords, endlessly cinematic.

Chord shapes in E minor (standard tuning)

Using a different tuning? Open it in the Looper — it finds playable shapes for whatever tuning you choose.

How the chords work

Written in Roman numerals, this progression is i – ♭VI — in A minor that is Am – F. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i — the minor home chord.
• ♭VI — a major chord borrowed from the minor key: epic and dramatic.

Aeolian i–♭VI vamp in all 12 keys

Practice ideas

• Beginners: play one strum per chord and say the chord names out loud, then two strums, then a steady down-down-up-up-down-up pattern.
• Change keys with a capo: keep the E minor shapes and move a capo up — the capo calculator shows which fret gives the key you want.
• Solo over it: loop it in the Looper and improvise with the E minor pentatonic or E natural minor or E blues scale — the scale pages show every position and play a backing track.
• Train your ear: the progression ear trainer mixes this with similar progressions until you can tell them apart.

Similar progressions

• Epic minor (i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII) i – ♭VI – ♭III – ♭VII
• i–iv–♭VI–V i – iv – ♭VI – V
• i–♭VI–♭III–V i – ♭VI – ♭III – V
• i–♭VI–iv–V7 i – ♭VI – iv – V7
• i–♭III–♭VII–♭VI i – ♭III – ♭VII – ♭VI
• Metal power chords (i–♭VI–♭VII) i5 – ♭VI5 – ♭VII5 – i5

← Modal i7–ii7 vamp · Minor i–v vamp →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

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