Motown Move · R&B / Soul

A · F#m7 · D · E7

I · vi7 · IV · V7 in the key of A

The doo-wop changes grown up — sevenths in the bass seats, backbeat on top.

Four bars of motown move in the key of A, written I · vi7 · IV · V7 and played quarters over a backbeat groove at around 104 beats per minute. The chord shapes are below, and you can hear the whole thing play — and slow it down — without an account.

Practice this progression →

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 I · vi7 · IV · V7 in the key of A — 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.

• A I up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 5th, on 3 strings
• F#m7 vi7 in open position, frets 2 to 4, on 4 strings
• D IV up at the 7th fret, spanning to the 9th, on 3 strings
• E7 V7 up at the 9th fret, spanning to the 11th, on 4 strings

How it should feel

Strum

Quarters

Groove

Backbeat

Tempo

104 bpm

Key

A

Voicings

The Climb

The top voice steps upward through the progression — a melody rising inside the chords.

The shapes

Low E on the left, high e on the right. 0 is an open string, × is one you do not play.

More R&B / Soul

• Amaj7 · C#m7 · Dmaj7 · E7 Imaj7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 in A — Slow Burn

Posted 2026-09-01. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.