The Anthem · Classics
E · B · C#m · A
I · V · vi · IV in the key of Em
The four chords under half the radio. Starts home, lifts, aches, resolves.
Four bars of the anthem in the key of Em, written I · V · vi · IV and played folk strum over a backbeat groove at around 92 beats per minute. The chord shapes are below, and you can hear the whole thing play (and slow it down) without an account.
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What the chords are
This is I · V · vi · IV in the key of Em. The degree of each chord is what makes the progression recognisable in any key, so the same four moves transpose anywhere once you know them by number.
- E I up at the 7th fret, spanning to the 9th, on 3 strings
- B V up at the 7th fret, spanning to the 9th, on 3 strings
- C#m vi up at the 5th fret, spanning to the 6th, on 3 strings
- A IV at the 2nd fret, on 3 strings
How it should feel
- Strum
- Folk strum
- Groove
- Backbeat
- Tempo
- 92 bpm
- Key
- Em
- Voicings
- The Fall
The top voice walks down instead. Same chords, opposite story.
The shapes
Low E on the left, high e on the right. 0 is an open string, × is one you do not play.
| Chord | E | A | D | G | B | e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | × | × | × | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| B | × | × | 9 | 8 | 7 | × |
| C#m | × | × | 6 | 6 | 5 | × |
| A | × | × | 2 | 2 | 2 | × |
More Classics
- Gm · Bb · C · Eb · Gm · D7 i · ♭III · IV · ♭VI · i · V7 in G · Rising Sun
- G · B7 · C · Cm I · III7 · IV · iv in G · The Creep
- G · D · Em · Bm · C · G · C · D I · V · vi · iii · IV · I · IV · V in G · The Canon
- Em · C · G · D vi · IV · I · V in G · Minor Anthem
Posted . Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.