Two borrowed major chords climb by whole step into the tonic. Triumphant, chiptune-approved, and it works in any key because the whole gesture is parallel majortriads walking home. The theory literature files this family under Aeolian progressions.
hear it in Super Mario Bros. course-clear fanfare
Lead-in — how players set it upOften kicks off from 1 or a stalled 5.From 4 — plagal motion sets up the borrowed climb.Or from 1-: full parallel minor before the lights come up.Follow — where it usually goes1 arrives triumphant — tag it or ride into the chorus.Loop it as a riff — the climb is reusable fuel.Or ride 1 into 5⁷ and cash a real cadence after the fake one.
Over b6 and b7 keep the melody pentatonic on the HOME key — the clash-free notes are 1, 2, 5.Target tones (in C)Ab — lean on C (3)Bb — lean on D (3)C — lean on E (3)Half-step wiresEb ↘ D · F ↘ E