i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII Chord Progression in D 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 D minor, the i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII progression is Dm – B♭ – F – C. 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 D 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 D minor

NumeralChordNotesWhat it does
iDm minorD F Atonic (home)
♭VIB♭ majorB♭ D Fpredominant (moving away)
♭IIIF majorF A Ctonic (home)
♭VIIC majorC E Gdominant (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:

  • Dm → B♭: keeps D and F
  • B♭ → F: keeps F
  • F → C: keeps C
  • C → Dm: 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.

Dm231
Beginner
B♭1234
Hard
F1342
Hard
C321
Beginner

With a capo

No capo needed: in D 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 fretAm F C GEasy
No capoDm B♭ F CEasy
3rd fretBm G D AHard
1st fretC♯m A E BHard

Scales to play over it

Common questions

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

Dm, B♭, F and C, one bar each, in that order.

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

You don’t need one: in D 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 D minor?

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

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i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in other keys

i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A minori–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in E 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 D minor

Andalusian Cadence in D 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.
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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

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