The Andalusian Cadence
Four chords walking downward, ending on a major chord that should not be there. It is the sound of flamenco, and it has been borrowed by everything from surf rock to hip hop, because a descending line with a sting at the end never gets old.
- 4 chords
- descending
- ends on a major V
same family
The progression
i - bVII - bVI - V
Why it works
The first three chords are plain natural minor, walking down by step. The fourth should be a minor v, and it is major instead, borrowed from harmonic minor. That gives you a leading tone, so the last chord pulls hard back to the start and the whole descent becomes a loop rather than a fall. The half step between the bVI and the V is also the Phrygian interval, which is where the flamenco colour comes from.
Hear it in context
Three of our own examples: the cadence as a flamenco strum, as a slow piano figure and as a hip hop loop.
Make it yours
- Let the bass carry the descent
The line is the hook, more than the chords on top of it.
- Add the seventh to the V
More pull back to the start, more drama.
- Stop on the V
It is a question, so ending a section there leaves it hanging on purpose.
When to reach for it
For anything Spanish, for minor songs that need a built-in engine, and for loops that should feel like they are falling and going nowhere at once.
When to leave it alone
When the song is bright. This cadence brings its own weather and will not adapt to a cheerful lyric.