Classical · Intermediate · minor key

Descending lament (i–♭VII–♭VI–V)

i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V7 — The baroque "lament bass": a sorrowful step-wise fall to the dominant.

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 i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V7 — in A minor that is Am – G – F – E7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i — the minor home chord.
• ♭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.
• V7 — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.

Descending lament (i–♭VII–♭VI–V) 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

• La Folia i – V – i – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VII – i – V
• Minor circle of fifths i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VI – ii° – V – i
• Romanesca ♭III – ♭VII – i – V – ♭III – ♭VII – i – V
• Andalusian cadence i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V
• Minor ii–V–i chain ("Autumn Leaves") iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7 – ♭VImaj7 – iiø7 – V7 – i – i
• i–♭VII–♭VIsus2–V i – ♭VII – ♭VIsus2 – V

← Ambient sus loop (i–♭VIsus2–♭III–♭VIIsus4) · Metal power chords (i–♭VI–♭VII) →

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