The Epic Minor Progression
In A minor it is Am, F, C, G. Three of those four are major chords, and that is the whole reason a progression sitting in a minor key comes out sounding enormous instead of sad.
- 4 chords
- 3 of them major
- 15 songs below
same family
The progression
i - bVI - bIII - bVII
Why it works
Natural minor hands you three major chords for free: the ones built on the sixth, the third and the seventh degree. String them after the home chord and the progression spends more time in major than in minor while never leaving the key. That is the trick: the tonic keeps the music serious, and the three major chords give it scale. No borrowing, no modulation, nothing clever, and it sounds like a mountain range.
Hear it in context
Fifteen songs on the same four chords, from a Cranberries single to reggaeton. Play the loop above, then read the list and hear it underneath the ones you know.
- Zombie
- Rolling in the Deep
- In the End
- Somebody That I Used to Know
- Radioactive
- Believer
- Bad Romance
- Hello
- Bad Habits
- Cheap Thrills
- Bye Bye Bye
- L'Amour Toujours
- Despacito
- Bailando
- Danza Kuduro
Make it yours
- Give each chord a full bar or two
This progression needs room; rushed, it sounds like a pop song.
- Rotate it
Starting on the VI gives you a different, warmer version of the same four chords.
- Let the top note stay
One held note across all four chords is what makes a theme out of a loop.
When to reach for it
For anything that needs scale: trailers, themes, game music, any chorus that has to sound bigger than the verse.
When to leave it alone
When the song is intimate. These four chords have one volume setting and it is large.