Part 7: Make a minor key feel like home · Lesson 063 / 117
Strum a minor progression before soloing
Follow Am–Dm–Am–Em without changing the key every bar.
Use Am | Dm | Am | Em. Each chord lasts four beats. In A minor, this is i–iv–i–v. A remains the tonic while the chord roots change.
Strum one attack per bar and listen. Then pick each chord's notes in a separate pass. Common open grips are Am x02210, Dm xx0231 and Em 022000. Use smaller comfortable voicings when necessary.
The return to Am reinforces home. Em in the final bar can lead into another repeat, but the natural-minor v does not contain the raised leading tone G#. We will explain the major V option later, after seventh chords.
Play the roots A, D, A and E over the backing before adding a melody. This repeats the successful major-key method: hear the form, play clear destinations, then elaborate.
Hear it
Minor Progression
Audio fileFour-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.
A concrete example
Am | Dm | Am | Em. Chord notes: A–C–E; D–F–A; A–C–E; E–G–B.
Try it, slowly
- Listen and point to each chord name.
- Strum once per bar while counting.
- Play only each chord root as a one-note lead part.
Check one idea
When Dm arrives, must the whole passage be reinterpreted as D minor?
Show the explanation
No. Dm is iv in this A-minor progression. Its root is D, while the established tonic remains A.
A good place to stop
You can follow the four-bar form and name both the tonic and each chord root.
Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.