Rock · Intermediate · minor key

i–♭VII–IV–i (Dorian)

i – ♭VII – IV – i — Dorian colour from the major IV — soulful and bluesy.

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 – IV – i — in A minor that is Am – G – D – Am. 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.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.

i–♭VII–IV–i (Dorian) 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

• i–♭III–♭VII–IV i – ♭III – ♭VII – IV
• i–IV–i–♭VII (Dorian rock) i – IV – i – ♭VII
• "Hotel California" progression i – V – ♭VII – IV – ♭VI – ♭III – iv – V
• i–iv–♭VII–i i – iv – ♭VII – i
• i–♭VII–♭VI–♭III i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭III
• Two-chord minor vamp (i–♭VII) i – ♭VII

← i–iv–♭VII–i · i–♭III–♭VI–♭VII →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

Questions