Flamenco · Intermediate · minor key

Flamenco cadence (iv–♭III–♭II–I)

iv – ♭III – ♭II – I — The Andalusian descent heard from the major chord at the bottom — the heart of flamenco.

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 iv – ♭III – ♭II – I — in A minor that is Dm – C – Bb – A. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• iv — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.
• ♭III — a major chord borrowed from the minor key (the relative major in a minor key).
• ♭II — a major chord a half step above home: exotic and tense.
• I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.

Flamenco cadence (iv–♭III–♭II–I) 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

• Phrygian climb i–♭II–♭III–♭II i – ♭II – ♭III – ♭II
• Minor ballad (i–iv–♭VII–♭III) i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III
• Picardy third (i–iv–V–I) i – iv – V – I
• Minor circle of fifths i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VI – ii° – V – i
• i–♭III–iv–♭VI i – ♭III – iv – ♭VI
• Minor 7th soul loop (i7–iv7–♭VII7–♭IIImaj7) i7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7

← Phrygian climb i–♭II–♭III–♭II · i–v–♭VI–iv →

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