Minor BasicChord progression · i – iv – V7 – i
Minor resolution — iv to V7 creates the classic minor cadence.
In A minor
Why the Minor Basic progression works
The basic cadence in a minor key. The iv colours the "away" chord. The V7 is major, borrowed from the harmonic minor scale, because its third is the raised 7th that pulls up into the tonic.
Heard in: PopSoulSwing and standardsFolkClassical
How to play Minor Basic in A minor
One voicing per chord, each the nearest to the chord before, so your hand stays in one spot. Open any chord in the chord library for every other way to play it.
Minor Basic chords in all 12 keys
The same numerals in every key. Each chord opens in the chord library, and each key plays in the progression builder.
What scale to play over Minor Basic
Over the whole progression in A minor: A Natural minor, A Minor pentatonic, A Harmonic minor. To follow every chord, switch to the scale the progression builder picks for it.
| Chord | Scale over it |
|---|---|
| i · Am | A Natural minor |
| iv · Dm | D Dorian |
| V7 · E7 | E Phrygian dominant |
Minor Basic questions
What are the chords of the Minor Basic progression?
i – iv – V7 – i. In A minor that is Am, Dm, E7, Am; in E minor it is Em, Am, B7, Em.
What scale do you play over the Minor Basic progression?
A Natural minor, A Minor pentatonic and A Harmonic minor fit the whole progression in A minor. Chord by chord: A Natural minor over Am, D Dorian over Dm, E Phrygian dominant over E7.
How do you play the Minor Basic progression in another key?
Keep the numerals and move every chord by the same distance. The table on this page spells it in all 12 keys, and each key opens in the progression builder.