Classical · Intermediate · minor key

La Folia

i – V – i – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VII – i – V — A Renaissance chord sequence that composers have written variations on for 400 years.

Chord shapes in A 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 – V – i – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VII – i – V — in A minor that is Am – E – Am – G – C – G – Am – E. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i — the minor home chord.
• V — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.
• ♭VII — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.
• ♭III — a major chord borrowed from the minor key (the relative major in a minor key).

La Folia 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 A 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 A minor pentatonic or A natural minor or A 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

• Romanesca ♭III – ♭VII – i – V – ♭III – ♭VII – i – V
• Descending lament (i–♭VII–♭VI–V) i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V7
• Minor circle of fifths i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VI – ii° – V – i
• Minor ii–V to the relative major iiø7 – V7 – i7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7
• "Hotel California" progression i – V – ♭VII – IV – ♭VI – ♭III – iv – V
• Minor ii–V–i chain ("Autumn Leaves") iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7 – ♭VImaj7 – iiø7 – V7 – i – i

← Phrygian vamp (i–♭II) · Romanesca →

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