The I–bIII–IV–I chord progression

Power riff. Gritty and bluesy; great with power chords.

Quick answer

I–bIII–IV–I in A major is A C D A.

Key

What the I–bIII–IV–I progression sounds like

Gritty and bluesy; great with power chords. In A major it's A C D A.

You'll find it in Rock songwriting.

Scales that fit I–bIII–IV–I

Over this progression in A, the best-fitting scales are A Mixolydian, A Major (Ionian), A Major blues. Put your own chords into the scale finder to see more.

I–bIII–IV–I in every key

The I–bIII–IV–I progression in all 12 major keys
Key	Chords
C major	C Eb F C
G major	G Bb C G
D major	D F G D
A major	A C D A
E major	E G A E
B major	B D E B
F# major	F# A B F#
Db major	Db Fb Gb Db
Ab major	Ab Cb Db Ab
Eb major	Eb Gb Ab Eb
Bb major	Bb Db Eb Bb
F major	F Ab Bb F

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Common questions

What are the chords in the I–bIII–IV–I progression?

In A major the I–bIII–IV–I progression is A C D A. The pattern is the same in every key; the table above lists all 12.

What scale goes with I–bIII–IV–I?

In A, the A Mixolydian fits best. A Major (Ionian) and A Major blues add different colors.

Last updated November 14, 2026.