Rock · Intermediate · minor key
i–♭III–♭VII–IV
i – ♭III – ♭VII – IV — Dark verse chords that end on a bright major IV.
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 – ♭III – ♭VII – IV — in A minor that is Am – C – G – D. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.
- i — the minor home chord.
- ♭III — a major chord borrowed from the minor key (the relative major in a minor key).
- ♭VII — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.
- IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
i–♭III–♭VII–IV in all 12 keys
| Key | Chords | Hear / play |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | AmCGD | Looper |
| E minor | EmGDA | Looper |
| B minor | BmDAE | Looper |
| F# minor | F#mAEB | Looper |
| C# minor | C#mEBF# | Looper |
| G# minor | G#mBGbC# | Looper |
| Eb minor | EbmGbDbAb | Looper |
| Bb minor | BbmDbAbEb | Looper |
| F minor | FmAbEbBb | Looper |
| C minor | CmEbBbF | Looper |
| G minor | GmBbFC | Looper |
| D minor | DmFCG | Looper |
Songs that use it
- Boulevard of Broken Dreams — Green Day
Song examples use this progression (or a very close variant) in at least one main section; keys and voicings differ.
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
- "Hotel California" progression i – V – ♭VII – IV – ♭VI – ♭III – iv – V
- i–IV–i–♭VII (Dorian rock) i – IV – i – ♭VII
- i–♭VII–IV–i (Dorian) i – ♭VII – IV – i
- i–♭III–♭VII–i i – ♭III – ♭VII – i
- i–♭VII–♭VI–♭III i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭III
- i–♭III–♭VI–V7 i – ♭III – ♭VI – V7
← Dorian vamp (i–IV) · "House of the Rising Sun" progression →
← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one
Questions
What chords are in the i – ♭III – ♭VII – IV progression?
In E minor: Em – G – D – A. In C major / A minor: Am – C – G – D. The table on this page lists all 12 keys.
What is the best key to play i – ♭III – ♭VII – IV on guitar?
E minor uses the most open-position chord shapes in standard tuning. Use a capo with those shapes to reach other keys.
What songs use the i–♭iii–♭vii–iv?
For example: Boulevard of Broken Dreams — Green Day.