PROGRESSION · I–♭III–♭VII–IV
The Mixolydian Anthem
A major tonic with two chords borrowed from the parallel minor. Bigger than major, brighter than minor. Also called the rock borrowed-chord loop.
In C major
C – Eb – Bb – F — defiant, wide open, arena-scale, around 116 BPM.
Why it works
Both ♭III and ♭VII come from the parallel minor while the tonic stays major, which puts the major and minor third of the key in the same loop. That contradiction is the sound: it is why the progression reads as powerful rather than happy. The roots descend by fourths and fifths, so despite the borrowed colour the motion underneath is conventional and strong.
Where you'll hear it
Stadium rock and anything wanting scale without sweetness. Pairs well with a melody built on the minor pentatonic over a major tonic — the classic blues-rock collision.
I–♭III–♭VII–IV in every key
The same progression transposed. The roman numerals never change — that is the whole point of writing progressions this way.
| Key | I | bIII | bVII | IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Eb | Bb | F |
| Db | Db | E | B | Gb |
| D | D | F | C | G |
| Eb | Eb | Gb | Db | Ab |
| E | E | G | D | A |
| F | F | Ab | Eb | Bb |
| F# | F# | A | E | B |
| G | G | Bb | F | C |
| Ab | Ab | B | Gb | Db |
| A | A | C | G | D |
| Bb | Bb | Db | Ab | Eb |
| B | B | D | A | E |
Related progressions
Drill the chords behind I–♭III–♭VII–IV
Build every chord in this progression from its symbol, against the clock.
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