Minor Anthem · Classics
C#m · A · E · B
vi · IV · I · V in the key of Em
The same four as the Anthem, entered from the dark side.
Four bars of minor anthem in the key of Em, written vi · IV · I · V and played folk strum over a backbeat groove at around 96 beats per minute. The chord shapes are below, and you can hear the whole thing play (and slow it down) without an account.
Opens in the Progression Lab. No account, nothing to sign in to. Ten minutes of playback a day, and an hour with a free account.
What the chords are
This is vi · IV · I · V 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.
- C#m vi up at the 4th fret, spanning to the 6th, on 5 strings
- A IV at the 2nd fret, on 5 strings
- E I in open position, frets 1 to 2, on all six strings
- B V up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 4th, on 5 strings
How it should feel
- Strum
- Folk strum
- Groove
- Backbeat
- Tempo
- 96 bpm
- Key
- Em
- Voicings
- Campfire
Big open grips and barres — the whole-hand chords everyone starts on.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C#m | × | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| A | × | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| E | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| B | × | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
More Classics
- Em · D · C · B i · ♭VII · ♭VI · V in Em · The Fall
- E · C#m · A · B I · vi · IV · V in Em · ’50s Doo-wop
- E · B · C#m · A I · V · vi · IV in Em · The Anthem
- Gm · Bb · C · Eb · Gm · D7 i · ♭III · IV · ♭VI · i · V7 in G · Rising Sun
Posted . Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.