Rock VampChord progression · I – ♭VII
Mixolydian two-chord shuttle — rock and blues-rock staple.
In C Mixolydian
Why the Rock Vamp progression works
A mixolydian two-chord shuttle, I and bVII. A staple of rock and blues-rock. The flat 7 chord does not pull home, so the loop just keeps rolling.
Heard in: Classic rockHard rockBlues rockPunkFunk
How to play Rock Vamp in C Mixolydian
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.
Rock Vamp 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 Rock Vamp
Over the whole progression in C Mixolydian: C Mixolydian, C Major pentatonic. To follow every chord, switch to the scale the progression builder picks for it.
| Chord | Scale over it |
|---|---|
| I · C | C Mixolydian |
| ♭VII · B♭ | B♭ Lydian |
Rock Vamp questions
What are the chords of the Rock Vamp progression?
I – ♭VII. In C Mixolydian that is C, B♭; in G Mixolydian it is G, F.
What scale do you play over the Rock Vamp progression?
C Mixolydian and C Major pentatonic fit the whole progression in C Mixolydian. Chord by chord: C Mixolydian over C, B♭ Lydian over B♭.
How do you play the Rock Vamp 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.