Slow Burn · R&B / Soul

Amaj7 · C#m7 · Dmaj7 · E7

Imaj7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 in the key of A

Sevenths on everything — the chords lean into each other instead of arriving.

Four bars of slow burn in the key of A, written Imaj7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 and played let it ring over a half-time groove at around 72 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 Imaj7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · 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.

• Amaj7 Imaj7 in open position, frets 1 to 2, on 5 strings
• C#m7 iii7 up at the 4th fret, spanning to the 6th, on 5 strings
• Dmaj7 IVmaj7 at the 2nd fret, on 4 strings
• E7 V7 in open position, frets 1 to 2, on all six strings

How it should feel

Strum

Let it ring

Groove

Half-time

Tempo

72 bpm

Key

A

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.

More R&B / Soul

• A · F#m7 · D · E7 I · vi7 · IV · V7 in A — Motown Move

Posted 2026-08-31. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.