The Mario Cadence: How To Use These 3 Majestic Chords
These three majestic chords, bVI - bVII - I, keep showing up at the most triumphant moments. Learn its many nicknames and how it works.
By Jake Lizzio · Signals Music Studio · 700,000+ subscribers on YouTube
The Mario cadence, also called the double backdoor cadence or "Billy Shears cadence," is the triumphant and celebratory ♭VI → ♭VII → I chord progression frequently heard in Super Mario Bros. In C, that's A♭ → B♭ → C.
Those three chords appear quite simple, but they don't fit cleanly into a major or minor key. The progression is a textbook example of modal mixture, and that borrowed-chord contrast is exactly what gives the cadence its bold, triumphant sound.
In this lesson, I break down where you'll hear this chord progression in popular music, how to compose with it, and how to solo over it. It's a fun one that thoroughly explores a chord movement that you will inevitibly encounter. Watch the full lesson above!