Borrowed chords

Steal from the parallel key

A borrowed chord comes from the parallel minor or major. It's the quickest way to make a vanilla progression sound surprising.

Common steals

iv     minor four, the "Beatles" chord
♭VI    the big cinematic lift
♭VII   the rock anthem chord
♭III   the dramatic dark turn

Why it matters

Borrowing is why "same four chords" can still feel brand new. One chord from next door and the whole room changes color.