i–VI–III–VII chord progression
The minor anthem. In B minor it's Bm – G – D – A. Press play, then pick any key from the menu.
In B minor, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- iBm
- VIG
- IIID
- VIIA
Why it works
A minor-key loop built only from the key's own chords: Bm (home), G and D (both major, borrowed brightness), then A (the flat-seven major chord). There's no dominant V at all, so nothing pulls hard toward home; the loop just cycles. Three of the four chords are major, which is why it sounds big and anthemic rather than sad. It's the minor-key twin of vi–IV–I–V and uses the same chords in the relative major.
The sound in one line: big, cinematic, driving.
Inside i–VI–III–VII
Roots only: B – G – D – A. Pianists move as little as possible; here is how:
- i → VI: Bm to G: play G in 1st inversion (B–D–G) and B and D stay under the same fingers, while F♯ moves up to G.
- VI → III: G to D: play D in 1st inversion (F♯–A–D) and D stays under the same finger, while G moves down to F♯ and B down to A.
- III → VII: D to A: play A in 1st inversion (C♯–E–A) and A stays under the same finger, while D moves down to C♯ and F♯ down to E.
- VII → i (back to the top): A to Bm: play Bm in root position (B–D–F♯), while A moves up to B, C♯ up to D and E up to F♯.
i–VI–III–VII in all 12 keys
The numerals never change; only the chord names do. Tap Play on any row, or open the key for its other chords.
| Key | Chords | |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | Am – F – C – G | |
| E minor | Em – C – G – D | |
| B minor | Bm – G – D – A | |
| F♯ minor | F♯m – D – A – E | |
| C♯ minor | C♯m – A – E – B | |
| G♯ minor | G♯m – E – B – F♯ | |
| E♭ minor | E♭m – C♭ – G♭ – D♭ | |
| B♭ minor | B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭ | |
| F minor | Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭ | |
| C minor | Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭ | |
| G minor | Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F | |
| D minor | Dm – B♭ – F – C |
On guitar
The friendliest keys for i–VI–III–VII on guitar are E minor and A minor, where every chord is an open shape.
E minor: Em – C – G – D
A minor: Am – F – C – G
A capo lets you keep these easy shapes in any key. Capo chart.
Ways to vary it
- Start on VI instead (VI–III–VII–i) for a more hopeful opening.
- Add a suspended fourth to the VII before returning to i.
- Replace VII with a major V to add a moment of tension before the loop restarts.
Related progressions
Build your own progression and share it as a link
i–VI–III–VII: questions
What is the i–VI–III–VII chord progression?
The minor anthem: the chords on degrees 1, 6, 3, 7 of a minor key. In B minor that's Bm – G – D – A.
Why does i–VI–III–VII sound good?
A minor-key loop built only from the key's own chords: Bm (home), G and D (both major, borrowed brightness), then A (the flat-seven major chord). There's no dominant V at all, so nothing pulls hard toward home; the loop just cycles.
How do I play i–VI–III–VII in G?
It's a minor progression, so use a minor key. In E minor: Em – C – G – D.
How do I change i–VI–III–VII to another key?
Keep the numerals and swap the key: the numbers say which note of the scale each chord is built on. Use the key menu in the player above, or the table of all 12 keys on this page.
What else is i–VI–III–VII called?
"minor pop progression". Musicians also call it the minor anthem.
Chords in every key are generated from the scale and checked by the site's theory tests. We describe progressions in general terms and don't transcribe songs. Updated September 2026.