Rock · Beginner · major key

Mixolydian vamp (I–♭VII)

I – ♭VII — A laid-back two-chord groove found in jam bands, Celtic music and classic rock.

Chord shapes in D 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 — in C major that is C – 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.

Mixolydian vamp (I–♭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 D 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 D major pentatonic or D major scale or D 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

• Mixolydian rock (I–♭VII–IV–I) I – ♭VII – IV – I
• Power-chord I–♭VII–IV I5 – ♭VII5 – IV5 – I5
• I–♭VII–IV–I I – ♭VII – IV – IV
• Power-chord I–♭VI–♭VII I5 – ♭VI5 – ♭VII5 – I5
• I–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII I – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII
• I–♭VII–IV–V I – ♭VII – IV – V

← Double plagal cadence (♭VII–IV–I) · Aeolian cadence (♭VI–♭VII–I) →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

Questions