Chord progressions · Minor pop
i–VI–III–VII chord progression in every key
The minor pop progression is i–VI–III–VII. In A minor that is Am, F, C and G.
Play it
Hear it in any key
The pop axis rotated to start on the The major and minor keys that share all seven notes and the same key signature, such as C major and A minor. — same four chords, darker centre.
i is home, VI moves away, III stands in for home and VII adds tension. Pick a key and press play; the A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. stay the same while the chords move.
Minor pop in A minor
i – VI – III – VII
- Am
- F
- C
- G
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Every key
Minor pop in all 12 minor keys
Each row is the same progression. Tap a chord to learn its shapes, or a key to hear all of its chords.
Questions
Minor pop, in short
- What is the minor pop progression?
- The minor pop progression is i–VI–III–VII. In A minor that is Am, F, C and G. The pop axis rotated to start on the The major and minor keys that share all seven notes and the same key signature, such as C major and A minor. — same four chords, darker centre.
- What are the chords of the minor pop progression in A minor?
- Am, F, C and G. i is home, VI moves away, III stands in for home and VII adds tension.
- What songs use the minor pop progression?
- You can hear it in Zombie, Numb and Despacito, among many others.