Ballad · Intermediate · minor key

i–v–♭VI–iv

i – v – ♭VI – iv — Slow and sorrowful, all in the natural minor.

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

• i — the minor home chord.
• v — a minor five: a softer, folkier pull back to the home chord.
• ♭VI — a major chord borrowed from the minor key: epic and dramatic.
• iv — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.

i–v–♭VI–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

• i–iv–v–♭VI i – iv – v – ♭VI
• Minor ballad (i–iv–♭VII–♭III) i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III
• i–iv–♭VI–V i – iv – ♭VI – V
• Minor circle of fifths i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VI – ii° – V – i
• i–♭VI–iv–V7 i – ♭VI – iv – V7
• i–v–♭VI–♭VII i – v – ♭VI – ♭VII

← Flamenco cadence (iv–♭III–♭II–I) · i–♭III–iv–♭VI →

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