i–i–i–i–iv–iv–i–i–V–iv–i–V

The minor blues — heavy and dragging where the major blues still swings.

Degrees: i–i–i–i–iv–iv–i–i–V–iv–i–V
Mode: minor
Bars: 12
In A minor: Am7 – Dm7 – Am7 – E7 – Dm7 – Am7 – E7

The progression in A minor

i7Am74 bars iv7Dm72 bars i7Am72 bars V7E7 iv7Dm7 i7Am7 V7E7

In all twelve keys

The same degrees, shifted twelve times. To move a song into another key, read off the row.

Key	i7	iv7	i7	V7	iv7	i7	V7
A minor	Am7	Dm7	Am7	E7	Dm7	Am7	E7
E minor	Em7	Am7	Em7	B7	Am7	Em7	B7
B minor	Bm7	Em7	Bm7	F#7	Em7	Bm7	F#7
F# minor	F#m7	Bm7	F#m7	C#7	Bm7	F#m7	C#7
C# minor	C#m7	F#m7	C#m7	G#7	F#m7	C#m7	G#7
G# minor	G#m7	C#m7	G#m7	D#7	C#m7	G#m7	D#7
D minor	Dm7	Gm7	Dm7	A7	Gm7	Dm7	A7
G minor	Gm7	Cm7	Gm7	D7	Cm7	Gm7	D7
C minor	Cm7	Fm7	Cm7	G7	Fm7	Cm7	G7
F minor	Fm7	Bbm7	Fm7	C7	Bbm7	Fm7	C7
Bb minor	Bbm7	Ebm7	Bbm7	F7	Ebm7	Bbm7	F7
Eb minor	Ebm7	Abm7	Ebm7	Bb7	Abm7	Ebm7	Bb7

Why it sounds that way

The same twelve-bar frame, but tonic and subdominant are minor. Only the fifth degree stays a dominant seventh: it has to keep the leading note, or the end of the circle would have no pull back to the beginning.

Where you hear it

The Thrill Is Gone — B. B. King
Black Magic Woman
Since I've Been Loving You — Led Zeppelin

Related progressions

I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–VThe twelve-bar blues i–iv–vThe three primary chords in minor

Anotona does this for you

Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.

See Anotona

Every note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.