i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII Chord Progression in E 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 E minor, the i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII progression is Em – C – G – D. 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 E 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 E minor

NumeralChordNotesWhat it does
iEm minorE G Btonic (home)
♭VIC majorC E Gpredominant (moving away)
♭IIIG majorG B Dtonic (home)
♭VIID majorD F♯ Adominant (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:

  • Em → C: keeps E and G
  • C → G: keeps G
  • G → D: keeps D
  • D → Em: no notes in common, a bold move

The chords on guitar

The easiest shape for each chord, with finger numbers. All of them are open-position shapes.

Em23
Beginner
C321
Beginner
G213
Beginner
D132
Beginner

With a capo

No capo needed: in E 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
No capoEm C G DVery easy
7th fretAm F C GEasy
2nd fretDm B♭ F CSome barre chords
5th fretBm G D AHard

Scales to play over it

Common questions

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

Em, C, G and D, one bar each, in that order.

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

You don’t need one: in E 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 E minor?

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

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i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in other keys

i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII in A 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 E minor

Andalusian Cadence in E 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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