Latin · Intermediate · minor key

Tango i–♭VI7–V7

i – ♭VI7 – V7 – i — Passionate tango and gypsy-jazz harmony.

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 – ♭VI7 – V7 – i — in A minor that is Am – F7 – E7 – Am. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i — the minor home chord.
• ♭VI7 — a major chord borrowed from the minor key: epic and dramatic.
• V7 — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.

Tango i–♭VI7–V7 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

• Harmonic-minor i–iv–V7 i – iv – V7 – i
• i–♭VI–♭III–V i – ♭VI – ♭III – V
• i–iv–♭VI–V i – iv – ♭VI – V
• i–♭III–♭VI–V7 i – ♭III – ♭VI – V7
• Minor circle of fifths i – iv – ♭VII – ♭III – ♭VI – ii° – V – i
• i–♭VI–iv–V7 i – ♭VI – iv – V7

← Minor blues turnaround · Modal i7–ii7 vamp →

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