Slow Burn · R&B / Soul
Amaj7 · C#m7 · Dmaj7 · E7
Imaj7 · iii7 · IVmaj7 · V7 in the key of A
Every chord here is a seventh chord. That extra note keeps each one sounding a little unfinished, so the progression flows from one chord to the next without ever fully settling. That’s the smooth, easy sound soul ballads are built on.
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.
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 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.
| Chord | E | A | D | G | B | e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaj7 | × | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| C#m7 | × | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Dmaj7 | × | × | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| E7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
More R&B / Soul
- Am7 · D7 i7 · IV7 in A — Dorian Vamp
- A · D I · IV in A — Sweet Soul Vamp
- A · F#m7 · D · E7 I · vi7 · IV · V7 in A — Motown Move
Posted . Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.