Chord & FretMpb · IV ao iv — Guitar
What is the Mpb · IV ao iv progression?
The Mpb · IV ao iv progression is C → F → C (I – IV – I), in the key of C. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → subdominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Play any song you love and it does this: leaves home, takes a walk, and at the right moment somebody yells "come back!". This progression is that route, road sign by road sign: C (I, home) → F (IV, the stroll) → C (I, home). Hit play and follow with your finger on the names — when you reach the chord marked "time to come back", notice your own body waiting for C — the home chord.
Guitar
Its six strings spread across a wide neck, so each chord has room to ring, and one player can be the rhythm and the harmony at the same time. The acoustic guitar sits at the very heart of Brazilian music: bossa nova was practically invented on it, and it carries samba, choro and MPB with equal ease. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on C and rings 2 open strings.
Cadences — Harmony comes to rest here — hear every cadence type and train your ear · see it in Chord & Fret
Save this progression in Chord & FretReharmonize — Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize the progression in a tap · try it in Chord & Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of C. In Chord & Fret, you open every position of all 3 chords in this progression along the neck — on any instrument, and hear each one. Open in Chord & Fret →
Metronome — Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · open in Chord & Fret
Want to change keys without redoing any of this? In the Chord & Fret app you drag and the whole neck rewrites itself — it's on the app stores.