I bIII IV Chord Progression
In the key of C major the I-bIII-IV progression is C Eb F. In the Nashville Number System it is written 1 b3 4.
Chords from outside the key of C major: Eb.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
bIII is borrowed from the parallel minor, or comes from the blues scale, so the roots spell the first three notes of a minor pentatonic riff. Major triads on blues scale degrees are the standard sound of hard rock.
How to use it
Normally our rock progressions use a bVII but sometimes that chord is left out. The bIII here is enough to keep it simple and provide a bluesy vibe. In some cases it is repeated other times just specific phrases in a song.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purple Haze | Jimi Hendrix | verse | E7#9 G A | E major |
| Jimmy Neutron Theme | Bowling for Soup | verse | A C D A | A Mixolydian |
| Get It On | T. Rex | chorus | E G A E | E Mixolydian |
| On the Road Again | Canned Heat | verse | E7 G A | E Mixolydian |
| Magical Mystery Tour | The Beatles | verse | E G A | E major |
| Fly By Night | Rush | bridge | D F G C | D Mixolydian |
| Wannabe | Spice Girls | intro | B D E A | B Mixolydian |
| Back in the USSR | The Beatles | chorus | A C D A D | A major |
I bIII IV Chord Progression: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
Longer progressions that contain it
- I-bIII-IV-bVI: C Eb F Ab
More progressions like this one
- I-bIII-IV-bVI: C Eb F Ab
- I-v: C Gm
- Quadruple plagal: Ab Eb Bb F C
- I-IV-bVII-IV: C F Bb F
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the I-bIII-IV progression in each key?
In C major: C Eb F. In G major: G Bb C. In D major: D F G. In A major: A C D. In E major: E G A.
Which songs use the I-bIII-IV progression?
Songs that use it include Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Neutron Theme by Bowling for Soup, Get It On by T. Rex.
