Minor Circle of Fifths Loop (i iv bVII bIII)
The Minor circle-of-fifths loop is the chord progression i-iv-bVII-bIII. In the key of C minor it is Cm Fm Bb Eb, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1m 4m b7 b3.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
Each root falls by a fifth, the strongest root motion in tonal music, and the loop stops on bIII, the relative major. Open Music Theory notes that bVII to bIII can sound like V-I in that major key, so the music floats between minor and major. It is the first half of the full minor circle.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Miley Cyrus | verse and chorus | Am Dm G C | A minor |
| Barbie Girl | Aqua | chorus | C#m F#m B E | C# minor |
| Boyfriend | Justin Bieber | chorus | Bbm Ebm Ab Db | Bb minor |
| Strong Enough | Cher | verse | Cm Fm Bb Eb | C minor |
Minor Circle of Fifths Loop: 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
- Minor circle of fifths: Cm Fm Bb Eb Ab Dm7b5 G Cm
Shorter progressions inside it
- Minor i-iv-bVII: Cm Fm Bb
More progressions like this one
- Minor i-iv-bVI-V: Cm Fm Ab G
- Minor i-iv-bIII-bVI: Cm Fm Eb Ab
- Minor i-bIII-bVII-iv: Cm Eb Bb Fm
- Minor i-v-iv: Cm Gm Fm
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 Minor circle-of-fifths loop in each key?
In C minor: Cm Fm Bb Eb. In G minor: Gm Cm F Bb. In D minor: Dm Gm C F. In A minor: Am Dm G C. In E minor: Em Am D G.
Which songs use the Minor circle-of-fifths loop?
Songs that use it include Flowers by Miley Cyrus, Barbie Girl by Aqua, Boyfriend by Justin Bieber.
