Blues · Beginner · minor key

Minor i–iv

i – iv — A slow, brooding two-chord minor groove.

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 – iv — in A minor that is Am – Dm. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i — the minor home chord.
• iv — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.

Minor i–iv 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 blues turnaround i7 – iv7 – v7 – i7
• Minor plagal loop i – iv – i – iv
• Minor blues i7 – i7 – i7 – i7 – iv7 – iv7 – i7 – i7 – ♭VI7 – V7 – i7 – V7
• Minor with major V (i–iv–V–i) i – iv – V – i
• i–iv–♭VI–♭VII i – iv – ♭VI – ♭VII
• i–iv–♭VII–i i – iv – ♭VII – i

← Two-chord minor vamp (i–♭VII) · Dorian vamp (i–IV) →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

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