Violin · Level 4 · Beginner
The Andalusian cadence in C minor on Violin
Don’t just read about The Andalusian cadence in C minor. Play it.
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This descending four-chord pattern comes from flamenco and turns up in rock and film music. Its bass walks steadily down to a major V chord.
Cm
Notes: C · E♭ · G
B♭
Notes: B♭ · D · F
A♭
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭
G
Notes: G · B · D
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord as an arpeggio, one note at a time: Cm, B♭, A♭ and G. Press play on the card, then match each note.
- Stay in first position: use the open string where you can and keep the fingers close to the string.
- Set the tempo to 57 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Let the bass note of each chord step down one scale note at a time.
- Play the chord tones one at a time, one note per beat, with a full, even bow on each.
- Raise the tempo to 76 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the stepwise fall in the lowest notes.
Listen for
Aim for the stepwise fall in the lowest notes. A common mistake is playing V as minor; it must be major to sound Spanish.
Why it works
The major V borrows a raised seventh from the harmonic minor scale, giving the strong leading tone.
C minor has 3 flats; its relative major key is E♭ major.
Questions
What are the chords in i–♭VII–♭VI–V in C minor?
In C minor the progression is Cm | B♭ | A♭ | G.
What is the key signature of C minor?
C minor has 3 flats. Its relative major is E♭ major.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 4 lesson (beginner). If it feels too hard, start with “The 12-bar blues”.
Your hands learn faster than your eyes.
Reading a chord chart is step one. Play it to a metronome, record it, and hear yourself get better, all in one app.
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