To make a lofi guitar beat, start with a very simple progression, even just two chords, and loop it. In this lesson that’s D flat and F minor. Then build it up one step at a time: solo with lots of space, add arpeggios, add a third chord, and bring in a dominant chord with tension, like C7 sharp 9.
When I started playing guitar, one of the things that blew my mind was players like my guest in this video, Alon. They’d take a very, very simple progression, maybe even two chords, and I’d see them doing all these cool things with it, harmonically and melodically. So Alon brings a progression, and we take it from that simple moment through five levels.
What do you need for a lofi guitar beat?
A short loop of a few chords is enough to start. The loop in this lesson begins with just two: D flat major and F minor.
Look at what’s inside them. D flat major is D flat, F and A flat. F minor is F, A flat and C. They share two notes, F and A flat, so only one note moves when the chord changes: D flat goes down a half step to C.
If you want to make the chords themselves sound richer first, the lofi guitar chords lesson shows how to voice three simple chords so they sound lush.
Level 1: loop two chords and solo with a lot of space
The first thing we do over D flat and F minor is take a solo, but something really simple, with just a lot of space. In the video we trade: one of us plays a short idea, then the other one answers.
That’s the whole level. Nothing new goes into the loop yet, just a simple solo with room around every idea.
Level 2: outline the chords with arpeggios
Now add arpeggios, mostly triads: the 1, 3 and 5 of each chord.
- Over D flat. D flat, F and A flat.
- Over F minor. F, A flat and C.
The two chords share F and A flat, so the notes that tell them apart are D flat and C. Listen for that half step when you play the arpeggios through the change. If triads still feel new on the neck, the guitar triads lesson walks through them in levels.
Level 3: add a third chord
Add one more chord to the loop: an E flat, next to the D flat and the F minor.
Where does the E flat come from? It’s kind of off the A flat major vibe. In A flat major, D flat is the IV chord and E flat is the V chord, and F minor is the relative minor. E flat major is E flat, G and B flat, so all three of its notes are new to the loop.
Levels 4 and 5: add tension with a dominant chord
Bring in a C7 sharp 9, also known as altered. In F minor, C7 is the V chord, so its tension pulls toward F minor.
C7 is C, E, G and B flat, and the sharp 9 adds a D sharp on top. That E natural is the one note in the chord that isn’t in A flat major. When the question comes up in the video, what do you play on this altered thing, the answer is to start with something more simple.
From there we look for ways to create a little more motion around the dominant chord without making it complicated:
- An inversion. E flat over G.
- A 13 with a flat 9. A 13 chord with a flat 9 added.
- A sus chord. Keep it simple and just play a sus chord.
How do you know what key a lofi loop is in?
Think in anchor points, and think about the major key and its relative minor together. When Alon brought this progression and said check this out, D flat and F minor, those two chords were my anchor points.
It’s really good to think about the major and the relative minor of a key. It’s not that you’re married to just one.
Rotem Sivan
That’s what brings a lot of options. You know you’re in F minor, and you also know you’re in A flat major. People get confused and ask, wait, are we in the minor key or the major key? It’s always a mishmash, and it’s good to think about it that way.
Here’s how the chords in this lesson sit in both keys. F minor and A flat major share the same seven notes: A flat, B flat, C, D flat, E flat, F and G.
- D flat. The IV chord of A flat major, and the VI chord of F minor.
- E flat. The V chord of A flat major, and the VII chord of F minor.
- F minor. The i chord of F minor, and the vi chord of A flat major.
- C7. The V chord of F minor. Its E natural comes from F harmonic minor and sits a half step below F.
A lofi guitar beat to try today
Record or loop D flat to F minor, slowly and in time. Solo over it with a few notes and a lot of space. Next time around, play only the triad notes of each chord. Then add the E flat to the loop, and finally bring in the C7 sharp 9 and listen to the tension it adds. Keep each step simple before you move on.
If you want to go deeper into this sound, Lofi Guitar Masterclass covers the lush chords and layered loops behind lofi and neo-soul guitar: locking a loop in time, hearing the tonal center, and the major 7, minor 7, dominant and diminished shapes that show up again and again. When you’re ready for longer progressions, try the neo soul chord progressions lesson next.
Frequently asked questions
What chords work for a lofi guitar beat?
Simple ones work. In this lesson the loop starts with just D flat and F minor, then adds an E flat and a C7 sharp 9 for tension. D flat, E flat and F minor all come from F minor and its relative major, A flat major, and C7 is the V chord of F minor.
Are D flat and F minor in the same key?
Yes. Both are in A flat major, which has the same notes as its relative minor, F minor. D flat is the IV chord of A flat major and the VI chord of F minor. That’s why it helps to think of both keys at once.
What’s a C7 sharp 9 chord?
It’s a C dominant 7 (C, E, G and B flat) with a raised 9th, D sharp, added. It’s also known as an altered sound. In F minor, C7 is the V chord, so its tension pulls back toward F minor.
Do you need a lot of chords for a lofi beat?
No. The loop in this video starts with two chords. You add to it one step at a time: a simple solo with space, arpeggios, one more chord, then a dominant chord for tension.
Pick two chords tonight, loop them, and see how far you can take them before you add a third.
