The I-bIII-bVII-IV progression I-bIII-bVII-IV
Level: AdvancedMode: major
Piano sound loads on first tap. Resolved in the key of C — every chord links to its full analysis.
What each degree does
ICmaj
Feels like home — complete rest, where the piece departs from and returns to. The major tonic, where everything settles.
bIIIEbmaj
The flat third major — in a minor key it's the relative major, a ray of light out of the gloom; borrowed in a major key, a bright, surprising turn.
bVIIBbmaj
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.
IVFmaj
A step out from home into the light — the subdominant. It sets up the dominant or resolves with a plagal ('amen') colour, opening space without sharp tension.