Blues · Beginner · minor key
Minor blues turnaround
i7 – iv7 – v7 – i7 — Three minor sevenths — a moody blues loop.
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 i7 – iv7 – v7 – i7 — in A minor that is Am7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Am7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.
- i7 — the minor home chord.
- iv7 — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.
- v7 — a minor five: a softer, folkier pull back to the home chord.
Minor blues turnaround in all 12 keys
| Key | Chords | Hear / play |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | Am7Dm7Em7Am7 | Looper |
| E minor | Em7Am7Bm7Em7 | Looper |
| B minor | Bm7Em7F#m7Bm7 | Looper |
| F# minor | F#m7Bm7C#m7F#m7 | Looper |
| C# minor | C#m7F#m7G#m7C#m7 | Looper |
| G# minor | G#m7C#m7D#m7G#m7 | Looper |
| Eb minor | Ebm7Abm7Bbm7Ebm7 | Looper |
| Bb minor | Bbm7Ebm7Fm7Bbm7 | Looper |
| F minor | Fm7Bbm7Cm7Fm7 | Looper |
| C minor | Cm7Fm7Gm7Cm7 | Looper |
| G minor | Gm7Cm7Dm7Gm7 | Looper |
| D minor | Dm7Gm7Am7Dm7 | 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 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 i–iv i – iv
- Minor plagal loop i – iv – i – iv
- i–v–iv–i i – v – iv – i
- Minor three-chord (i–iv–v) i – iv – v – i
- Minor blues i7 – i7 – i7 – i7 – iv7 – iv7 – i7 – i7 – ♭VI7 – V7 – i7 – V7
- i–v–♭VI–iv i – v – ♭VI – iv
← Minor line cliché into iv · Tango i–♭VI7–V7 →
← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one
Questions
What chords are in the i7 – iv7 – v7 – i7 progression?
In E minor: Em7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Em7. In C major / A minor: Am7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Am7. The table on this page lists all 12 keys.
What is the best key to play i7 – iv7 – v7 – i7 on guitar?
E minor uses the most open-position chord shapes in standard tuning. Use a capo with those shapes to reach other keys.