Ambient · Advanced · minor key

Ambient sus loop (i–♭VIsus2–♭III–♭VIIsus4)

i – ♭VIsus2 – ♭III – ♭VIIsus4 — Open suspended voicings for an airy, ambient sound.

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 – ♭VIsus2 – ♭III – ♭VIIsus4 — in A minor that is Am – Fsus2 – C – Gsus4. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i — the minor home chord.
• ♭VIsus2 — a major chord borrowed from the minor key: epic and dramatic.
• ♭III — a major chord borrowed from the minor key (the relative major in a minor key).
• ♭VIIsus4 — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.

Ambient sus loop (i–♭VIsus2–♭III–♭VIIsus4) 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–♭VII–♭VIsus2–V i – ♭VII – ♭VIsus2 – V
• Minor ii–V–i chain ("Autumn Leaves") iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7 – ♭VImaj7 – iiø7 – V7 – i – i
• "Hotel California" progression i – V – ♭VII – IV – ♭VI – ♭III – iv – V
• i–♭VII–♭VI–♭III i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭III
• Epic minor (i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII) i – ♭VI – ♭III – ♭VII
• i–♭VI–♭VII–♭III i – ♭VI – ♭VII – ♭III

← i–IV–i–♭VII (Dorian rock) · Descending lament (i–♭VII–♭VI–V) →

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