i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII Chord Progression in A Minor

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 i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII progression is Am – F – C – G. The minor four-chord loop: dark but driving. Huge in rock, pop and film.

The library above is set to i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A minor. Press Play to hear it with strummed guitar, bass and drums in a rock groove, tap any chord to hear it on its own, or pick another key or a capo.

The chords of i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A minor

NumeralChordNotesWhat it does
iAm minorA C Etonic (home)
♭VIF majorF A Cpredominant (moving away)
♭IIIC majorC E Gtonic (home)
♭VIIG majorG B Ddominant (pulling home)

Why it sounds smooth

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:

  • Am → F: keeps A and C
  • F → C: keeps C
  • C → G: keeps G
  • G → Am: no notes in common, a bold move

The chords on guitar

The easiest shape for each chord, with finger numbers. The barre chords are the hard part; the capo positions below can avoid them.

Am231
Beginner
F1342
Hard
C321
Beginner
G213
Beginner

With a capo

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).

CapoShapes you playHow easy
5th fretEm C G DVery easy
No capoAm F C GEasy
7th fretDm B♭ F CSome barre chords
3rd fretF♯m D A ESome barre chords

Scales to play over it

Common questions

What are the chords of i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A minor?

Am, F, C and G, one bar each, in that order.

What capo do I use for i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A minor?

You don’t need one: in A minor the shapes without a capo are already easy.

How do I play i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in another key?

Keep the numerals (i, ♭VI, ♭III, ♭VII) and build each chord from the new key, or tap another key in the library above and the chords change for you.

What is the relative major of A minor?

C major. It has the same notes, which is why C (the ♭III chord) sounds at home in A minor progressions.

Learn it with a teacher
Live one-to-one guitar classes online.
Find a teacher

i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in other keys

i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in E minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in D minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in B minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in F♯ minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in C♯ minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in G minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in C minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in F minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in B♭ minor

More progressions in A minor

Andalusian Cadence in A minor

Chord tools

Chord progression library
307 named progressions, from I–V–vi–IV to the 12-bar blues and the Andalusian cadence, in any key and with any capo.
Chord progression generator
A new progression for any key and mood, in Roman numerals, with passing, borrowed and secondary chords. A band plays it.
Backing track player
Build your own band: 16 moods and 20 styles in any key and tempo, with drums, percussion, bass, two chord instruments, a pad and lead fills, each with its own sound and volume.
Capo calculator
Easy chord shapes for any key: every capo position ranked, with the shape you play and the chord it sounds side by side.

All 307 progressions · All free tools

HelpFree tools