Jazz · Intermediate · minor key
Minor line cliché
i – imaj7 – i7 – i6 — One minor chord with an inner line falling a half step at a time — a spy-movie and ballad favourite.
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 – imaj7 – i7 – i6 — in A minor that is Am – AmMaj7 – Am7 – Am6. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.
- i — the minor home chord.
Minor line cliché in all 12 keys
| Key | Chords | Hear / play |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | AmAmMaj7Am7Am6 | Looper |
| E minor | EmEmMaj7Em7Em6 | Looper |
| B minor | BmBmMaj7Bm7Bm6 | Looper |
| F# minor | F#mF#mMaj7F#m7F#m6 | Looper |
| C# minor | C#mC#mMaj7C#m7C#m6 | Looper |
| G# minor | G#mG#mMaj7G#m7G#m6 | Looper |
| Eb minor | EbmEbmMaj7Ebm7Ebm6 | Looper |
| Bb minor | BbmBbmMaj7Bbm7Bbm6 | Looper |
| F minor | FmFmMaj7Fm7Fm6 | Looper |
| C minor | CmCmMaj7Cm7Cm6 | Looper |
| G minor | GmGmMaj7Gm7Gm6 | Looper |
| D minor | DmDmMaj7Dm7Dm6 | Looper |
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
- Minor line cliché into iv i – imaj7 – i7 – iv
- Modal i7–ii7 vamp i7 – ii7
- Minor ii–V–i iiø7 – V7 – i – i
- Minor ii–V to the relative major iiø7 – V7 – i7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7
- Minor ii–V–i chain ("Autumn Leaves") iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7 – ♭VImaj7 – iiø7 – V7 – i – i
- i–iv–v–♭VI i – iv – v – ♭VI
← Minor blues · Phrygian vamp (i–♭II) →
← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one
Questions
What chords are in the i – imaj7 – i7 – i6 progression?
In A minor: Am – AmMaj7 – Am7 – Am6. In C major / A minor: Am – AmMaj7 – Am7 – Am6. The table on this page lists all 12 keys.
What is the best key to play i – imaj7 – i7 – i6 on guitar?
A minor uses the most open-position chord shapes in standard tuning. Use a capo with those shapes to reach other keys.