What is so special about Am G F E chord progression?

Question

I wonder why these 4 chords sound very good together and very common. No matter what kind of music I look at to I usually see these chord progression and very large amount of pop songs using this chord progession only. Actually I wonder it both in Music Theory and Physics context. Is there any such explanation maybe with its frequencies or something like that?

Answer 1

This is the Andalusian Cadence:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popular_music_songs_featuring_Andalusian_cadences

i VII VI V progression or vi-V-IV-III

https://www.uberchord.com/blog/andalusian-cadence-the-most-common-guitar-chord-progression/

I've heard it by most beginners on piano or guitar player or songwriter.

What it is special? The bass-notes of this progression are part of an old mode (but the final chord is E major.

They are very popular in Spanish music, I have it also in the ear from Jesus Christ Superstar, but there are many other songs.

Look up here in this SE Andalusian Cadence or I bVII bVI progression

When you look up the roman numbers at Google you find a lot of examples and songs using this progression (Andalusian Cadence)

like this:

http://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/i-VII-VI-VII.html

or this one:

The i VII VI V – The Andalusian Cadence This chord progression is not strictly in one single key as we would understand in diatonic theory. It is used very frequently and is quite an ancient musical movement, which predates the emergence of modern music theory. It’s sometimes called the Andalusian Cadence and it does have an exotic quality due the major V chord. In a perfectly diatonic progression, we would expect that V chord to be minor if we were in a standard minor key.

https://keytomusicnorth.com/1701-2/

Answer 2

The sequence takes four chords from a minor key, starting with the tonic (Am), then sequentially working downwards (backwards), through the diatonic chords in that key - G (VII), F (VI), down to E (V - dominant), which pushes back to the tonic.

It's not that common - not even one percent of the thousands of songs I've ever played had this sequence. However, it is more common in Spanish influenced pieces, which often favour minor sonorities.

Answer 3

Besides the ethnic music his particula chord progression can be heard in Paul McCartney's "Beware my love" chorus part from 1976 "Wings at the speed of sound" Moreover, this chord progression is more often associated with harmonic minor due to bVI - #VII

Answer 4

It's a strong bass-line, walking down from the tonic to the dominant. Maybe a LITTLE more common than @Tim opines in his answer!

A reminder that there's more to harmony than the Cycle of 5ths.

Answer 5

Am G F E. Analyzed with Roman numerals it's i VII VI V.

It "works" because of the step-wise descenting bass, and it outlines a tonic/dominant pattern i ... V. Those are musical fundamentals, step-wise lines and tonic/dominant harmony.

You probably want to consider that i VII VI V and i v6 iv6 V are basically two expressions of the same idea: a descending bass, tonic to dominant, in minor. In major keys there is the progression I V6 vi iii6, which is similar in that it has a descending bass. Harmonizing a descending bass is popular thing.

However, there is no reason to ascribe some special status to this progression any more than other popular progressions like I IV V I, I vi IV V, etc. etc. Except to categorize it by the descending bass line.