Andalusian Cadence (Lament) i-bVII-bVI-V
Piano sound loads on first tap. Resolved in the key of C — every chord links to its full analysis.
The famous descending tetrachord: the bass walks down step by step from the minor tonic — i, bVII, bVI — landing on a MAJOR dominant (V) that pulls back home. It's the diatonic cousin of the Baroque 'lament bass' tradition (Purcell's fully chromatic descent in Dido's Lament is the most famous relative, though its walk fills in every semitone), which is how the pattern earned its popular nickname, 'the suffering progression'; it's also the harmonic spine of flamenco, 'Hit the Road Jack' and 'Sultans of Swing'.
What each degree does
Home, but in shadow — the minor tonic. The same rest as I, coloured dark and melancholic.
The flat subtonic — a major chord borrowed from the minor/Mixolydian mode, a whole step below the tonic. It gives the classic rock turn and the 'backdoor' approach to I.
The flat sixth major — borrowed from the minor mode, a dramatic, epic colour. It falls over the key like a large shadow before the dominant.
Tension pulling home — the chord that 'wants to resolve' to I; it closes or opens sections. The dominant, the engine of the key.