307 named progressions, from I–V–vi–IV to the 12-bar blues and the Andalusian cadence, in any key and with any capo.
In A minor, the Andalusian cadence is Am – G – F – E. Four chords stepping down to the major V: the sound of flamenco, also everywhere in pop, rock and film music.
The library above is set to Andalusian Cadence in A minor. Press Play to hear it with strummed guitar, bass and drums in a bollywood (dholak) groove, tap any chord to hear it on its own, or pick another key or a capo.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am minor | A C E | tonic (home) |
| ♭VII | G major | G B D | dominant (pulling home) |
| ♭VI | F major | F A C | predominant (moving away) |
| V | E major | E G♯ B | dominant (pulling home) |
Chords that share notes slide into each other; a change with no common notes sounds like a bigger step. Here is what each change keeps:
The easiest shape for each chord, with finger numbers. The barre chords are the hard part; the capo positions below can avoid them.
No capo needed: in A minor the shapes without a capo are already easy. Each row shows the shapes you play and how easy they are (capo positions above the 7th fret are left out: the guitar sounds thin up there).
| Capo | Shapes you play | How easy |
|---|---|---|
| No capo | Am G F E | Easy |
| 7th fret | Dm C B♭ A | Easy |
| 3rd fret | F♯m E D C♯ | Hard |
| 1st fret | G♯m F♯ E D♯ | Hard |
Am, G, F and E, one bar each, in that order.
You don’t need one: in A minor the shapes without a capo are already easy.
Keep the numerals (i, ♭VII, ♭VI, V) and build each chord from the new key, or tap another key in the library above and the chords change for you.
C major. It has the same notes, which is why C (the ♭III chord) sounds at home in A minor progressions.