Ballad · Intermediate · major key

I–iii–IV–iv

I – iii – IV – iv — A gentle climb that ends on the minor iv — wistful and cinematic.

Chord shapes in A 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 – iii – IV – iv — in C major that is C – Em – F – Fm. 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.
• iii — a gentle minor chord that shares two notes with I.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
• iv — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.

I–iii–IV–iv 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 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 A major pentatonic or A major 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

• I–I7–IV–iv I – I7 – IV – iv
• Minor plagal (I–IV–iv–I) I – IV – iv – I
• Imaj7–IVmaj7–iv6–Imaj7 Imaj7 – IVmaj7 – iv6 – Imaj7
• Bird blues (Parker changes) Imaj7 – viiø7 – III7 – vi7 – II7 – v7 – I7 – IV7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – iii7 – VI7 – ii7 – ♭III7 – ii7 – V7
• I–vi–I–vi–IV–V ballad I – vi – I – vi – IV – V – I – V
• Anime chorus climb (IV–V–iii–vi–IV–V–I) IV – V – iii – vi – IV – V – I – I

← Extended Canon turnaround · I–vi–IV–ii–V →

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