♭VI–♭VII–I (victory cadence) (I – ♭VI – ♭VII – I)

After ♭VI and ♭VII borrowed from the parallel minor, the major tonic sounds triumphant. A video-game and film favorite.

In C major

Open in the generator (rhythm, transpose, MIDI) →

In all 12 keys

Mode: major. The capo column shows the fret where most chords become easy open shapes.

Key	Chords	Capo
C major	C – A♭ – B♭ – C	1.
D♭ major	D♭ – B𝄫 – C♭ – D♭	2.
D major	D – B♭ – C – D	–
E♭ major	E♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭	1.
E major	E – C – D – E	–
F major	F – D♭ – E♭ – F	1.
F♯ major	F♯ – D – E – F♯	2.
G major	G – E♭ – F – G	3.
A♭ major	A♭ – F♭ – G♭ – A♭	4.
A major	A – F – G – A	5.
B♭ major	B♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B♭	6.
B major	B – G – A – B	7.

Similar progressions

Frequently asked questions

What are the chords of the ♭VI–♭VII–I (victory cadence) in C major?

C – A♭ – B♭ – C (I – ♭VI – ♭VII – I).

Which key is easiest on guitar?

With only open chords and no capo: E major. For other keys, the capo column in the table shows where to clamp it.

What do the Roman numerals mean?

The degrees of the key: I = tonic (1st degree), IV = 4th, V = 5th. Upper case is a major chord, lower case minor; ° means diminished, ø half-diminished and ♭ a lowered degree. That's what lets you move the progression to any key.

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