i–♭III–iv

The i–♭III–iv progression gently sways between the minor tonic, its relative major, and the subdominant minor. The ♭III provides a momentary lift before the iv settles back into melancholy. This simple three-chord pattern is effective in folk songs and acoustic ballads.

Pattern: i – ♭III – iv   Example in A Minor: Am – C – Dm

Genre: folk, rock   Difficulty: beginner

Choose a Key

A Minor Am – C – Dm E Minor Em – G – Am B Minor Bm – D – Em F♯ Minor F♯m – A – Bm C♯ Minor C♯m – E – F♯m G♯ Minor G♯m – B – C♯m D Minor Dm – F – Gm G Minor Gm – B♭ – Cm C Minor Cm – E♭ – Fm F Minor Fm – A♭ – Bbm B♭ Minor Bbm – D♭ – Ebm E♭ Minor Ebm – G♭ – Abm

Song Examples