Metal · Beginner · minor key

Metal power chords (i–♭VI–♭VII)

i5 – ♭VI5 – ♭VII5 – i5 — Three power chords — chug them with palm muting.

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 i5 – ♭VI5 – ♭VII5 – i5 — in A minor that is A5 – F5 – G5 – A5. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i5 — the minor home chord.
• ♭VI5 — a major chord borrowed from the minor key: epic and dramatic.
• ♭VII5 — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.

Metal power chords (i–♭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 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

• Minor ♭VI–♭VII–i resolution ♭VI – ♭VII – i – i
• i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII–i stepping bass i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII
• i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII
• Andalusian cadence i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V
• i–♭VII–♭VI–♭III i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭III
• i–♭III–♭VII–♭VI i – ♭III – ♭VII – ♭VI

← Descending lament (i–♭VII–♭VI–V) · i–♭III–♭VI–V7 →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

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