Rock · Intermediate · major key

I–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII

I – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII — Major-key rock with a minor-key descent borrowed underneath.

Chord shapes in E major (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 – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII — in C major that is C – Bb – Ab – Bb. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.
• ♭VII — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.
• ♭VI — a major chord borrowed from the minor key: epic and dramatic.

I–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII 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 major 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 major pentatonic or E major scale or E Mixolydian — 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

• Aeolian cadence (♭VI–♭VII–I) I – ♭VI – ♭VII – I
• Power-chord I–♭VI–♭VII I5 – ♭VI5 – ♭VII5 – I5
• I–♭VII–IV–V I – ♭VII – IV – V
• Double plagal cadence (♭VII–IV–I) ♭VII – IV – I – I
• I–V–♭VII–IV I – V – ♭VII – IV
• I–♭III–♭VII–IV I – ♭III – ♭VII – IV

← Lydian I–II–IV–I · i–iv–i–V →

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