The i-bVI-bIII-V progression i-bVI-bIII-V

Level: AdvancedMode: minor
i Cm
bVI Abmaj
bIII Ebmaj
V G7

Piano sound loads on first tap. Resolved in the key of C — every chord links to its full analysis.

What each degree does

iCm

Home, but in shadow — the minor tonic. The same rest as I, coloured dark and melancholic.

bVIAbmaj

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.

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.

VG7

Tension pulling home — the chord that 'wants to resolve' to I; it closes or opens sections. The dominant, the engine of the key.

More progressions of this level