The Spanish Andalusian Cadence Every Pianist Should Know (Part 1)
The Andalusian cadence in D minor is Dm–C–Bb–A (i–bVII–bVI–V), a descending, flamenco-flavoured progression that borrows the C from the natural minor and the A major (with C#) from the harmonic minor.
Key points
- The Andalusian cadence in D minor is Dm–C–Bb–A, or i–bVII–bVI–V.
- It mixes the natural minor (C for the bVII) with the harmonic minor (C# for the A major V).
- Learn every chord in root position, first and second inversion.
- Start with a left-right marching pattern, then add octaves, swing, ghost notes on the fifth and arpeggios.
- Improvise with D harmonic minor or the D minor blues scale (D F G Ab A C D).
This lesson, the first part of a series by Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music, teaches the Andalusian cadence on piano. It is aimed at pianists who know basic triads and want a dark, Spanish or flamenco-sounding progression they can use for solo playing, accompaniment and improvisation.
What is the Andalusian cadence?
The word cadence is often used for the ending of a song, but it is also used for a short chord progression. The Andalusian cadence is just four chords, probably named after Andalusia in Spain because of its flamenco sound. In D minor the chords are:
- D minor: D F A
- C major: C E G
- Bb major: Bb D F
- A major: A C# E
Notice how the chords simply seem to step downwards.
Learn the inversions
Practise each chord in all three close-position shapes. This prepares you for smoother voice leading and for melodic work later in the series.
- Root position: D F A, C E G, Bb D F, A C# E
- First inversion: F A D, E G C, D F Bb, C# E A
- Second inversion: A D F, G C E, F Bb D, E A C#
The theory: natural and harmonic minor together
The progression comes from D minor, but it blends two forms of the minor scale. The natural minor has a flat seventh (C), while the harmonic minor has a raised, major seventh (C#).
- i (D minor): the home chord.
- bVII (C major): exists in the natural minor.
- bVI (Bb major): exists in both minors.
- V (A major): comes from the harmonic minor, which supplies the C#. You can also play it as a dominant seventh, A7 (A C# E G).
Before trying patterns, play the four chords in the right hand with just the roots in the left, around four times through.
Rhythm patterns
1. The marching pattern
Alternate the hands like marching: left, right, left, right. The left plays the root and the right plays the chord. Keep the left hand legato and the right hand short and staccato.
2. Add octaves
Play the left-hand roots as octaves to thicken the sound.
3. Swing with ghost notes
Swing the rhythm and add a light ghost note in the left hand on the fifth of the chord. The feel is similar to the classic Hit the Road Jack groove.
4. Arpeggios with feel
Within the same framework, switch some sections to an arpeggio: the left hand holds the root while the right plays the chord one note at a time, from the lowest note to the middle to the highest. Swing it for a bluesy feel, or play it straight for a rock feel. You can mix in ghost notes and offbeat touches.
5. Broken chords in the left hand
Once you are more comfortable, move the whole rhythm into the left hand: play the root, then the third and fifth together (D then F A, C then E G, Bb then D F, A then C# E). This frees the right hand to improvise.
Improvising in the right hand
Two scales work well:
- D minor / D harmonic minor: C (the minor seventh) works in some places, but C# often sounds better, especially over the last chord, A major.
- D minor blues: root, minor third, perfect fourth, tritone, perfect fifth, minor seventh, octave, which gives D F G Ab A C D.
How to practise
Learn the chords and inversions first, then the marching pattern slowly, then add octaves, swing and ghost notes one at a time. Finish with call and response: the video ends with sung and played phrases followed by gaps, so you can copy each idea on the piano over the progression.
Questions about this lesson
What are the chords of the Andalusian cadence in D minor?
The chords are D minor (D F A), C major (C E G), Bb major (Bb D F) and A major (A C# E). In Roman numerals that is i–bVII–bVI–V.
Why does the Andalusian cadence use both C and C#?
It blends two forms of D minor. The C major chord comes from the natural minor with its flat seventh, while the final A major chord comes from the harmonic minor, which raises C to C#.
Can I play the last chord as A7?
Yes. The final V chord can be played as a dominant seventh, A7, spelled A C# E G.
Which scales can I use to improvise over the Andalusian cadence?
D minor or D harmonic minor work well, with C# usually sounding better over the A major chord. The D minor blues scale, D F G Ab A C D, is another good choice.
Practise it
- Cadence LibraryCompare piano cadences across keys and listen to how different chord movements create closure, suspense or a turn in a new direction.
- Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- Two-Hand Piano Arpeggios With Melody Over the Andalusian Cadence (Part 4)To play double arpeggios over the Andalusian cadence, hold the root while the left hand plays a slow low-high-middle-high pattern, and have the right hand play a different pattern (high-low-middle-low) at double speed in a different inversion so the hands never collide and a melody can emerge on top.
- The 2-5-1 Jazz Piano Chord Progression ExplainedA 2-5-1 (ii-V-I) progression takes the chords on the 2nd, 5th and 1st degrees of a scale; in G major that is Am7 (A C E G), D7 (D F# A C) and Gmaj7 (G B D F#), and in G minor it becomes Am7b5 (A C Eb G), D7 and Gm7 (G Bb D F).
- 6 Famous Songs That Use the Spanish (Andalusian) CadenceThe Andalusian cadence (i–bVII–bVI–V, in D minor Dm–C–Bb–A) can be played on piano with the rhythm patterns of songs like Feeling Good, House of the Rising Sun, Believer, Who Is It, Walk Don't Run and The Ketchup Song, then reused over other progressions.
- 2 Flamenco Piano Patterns Using the Spanish CadenceYou can play flamenco on the piano over the Andalusian cadence (Dm, C, Bb, A) using two patterns: a syncopated rhythm with a legato root-and-fifth left hand under right-hand chord hits, and a guitar-style pattern where the right hand cycles through flam, block, single and broken-chord articulations.