Master Piano Chords By Key

 
And Give Yourself A Big Advantage When
Playing, Learning Or Writing Songs
Master Piano Chords By Key
Introduction
Chapter 1 - How to Read the Circle of Fifths
Chapter 2 - How to Form Major Scales in Every Key
Chapter 3 - How to Form Major, Minor and Diminished Chords
Chapter 4 - What is the Chord Pattern for a Major Key?  - Extended Chords
Chapter 5 - What Chords are in Each Major Key?
Chapter 6 - Common Chord Progressions in Major Keys
Chapter 7 - Minor Keys, Minor Scales and the Relative Minor
Chapter 8 - What is the Chord Pattern for a Minor Key? - Extended Chords
Chapter 9 - What Chords are in Each Minor Key?
Chapter 10 - Common Chord Progressions in Minor Keys
Conclusion
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Introduction
 
Thank you for downloading the book, "Master Piano Chords By Key - And
Give Yourself A Big Advantage When Playing, Learning Or Writing Songs".
What Chords Are In What Key And Why?
This book will tell you what chords are in every major and minor key. It
will also explain why chords are in a specific key. It will take you from the
very beginning to give you a full understanding of the relationship between
keys, scales and chords.
If you know what chords are in a particular key, you will have a huge
advantage when learning songs or writing your own. If you
understanding why these chords are in a certain key, you give yourself an
even greater advantage!
It is important to know your chords. This book will help you in that regard.
But knowing your chords is not enough! You need to understand the theory
behind chords and chord progressions. You need to know what you're
doing. This book gives you that knowledge and understanding.
It's pointless knowing a bunch of chords if you can't easily relate them to
the keys they are in, or where they fit on the major or minor scale. You
won't make much progress if you are clueless about what you're doing. A
lack of information will certainly keep you back. This book offers an
immediate solution.
"Master Piano Chords By Key - And Give Yourself A Big Advantage When
Playing, Learning Or Writing Songs" will explain what is really happening
as far as keys and chords are concerned, and this will take your piano-
playing, improvising, songwriting or composing abilities to new heights.
It will help you become a much better player and overall musician.
This book will help you come up with chords easily. It will save you time.
You will know what chords work well together. With the knowledge that
this book provides, you will be able to choose chords from a key easily, so
that they sound good together. You will totally understand and be able to
create amazing chord progressions.
The benefits of understanding chords organized by key are endless. This
book will explain everything to you. Read on and take your musical
abilities to the next level.          
 
Chapter 1 - How to Read the Circle of Fifths
 
Before we take a look at chords, and the keys in which they are, I want you
to have an understanding of what is known as the circle of fifths. The circle
of fifths is great for understanding scales. While the C major scale has no
sharps and flats, the other scales do. The circle of fifths will tell you how
many sharps or flats are in a scale or key. It will all become clear as we go
along.
Take a look at this circle of fifths diagram. Starting with C and moving to
the right (or clockwise) tells us the keys containing sharps. Starting with C
and moving to the left (or counterclockwise) tells us the keys containing
flats.
Let's start with C and move to the right. The keys move in the order, C G D
A E B F# C#. For every new key, a sharp is added. In other words, every
key in the sequence has one sharp more than the one before it. So the key of
C has no sharps, G has 1 sharp, D has 2 sharps, A has 3 sharps, E has 4
sharps, B has 5 sharps, F# has 6 sharps, and C# has 7 sharps. I will soon tell
you what these sharps are. Just focus on the number of sharps for now.
Let's start on C and move to the left. The keys, as can be seen in the
diagram, move in the order, C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb. Every time we
move to a new key on the circle of fifths, that key has an additional flat.
Therefore, the key of C has no flats, F has 1 flat, Bb has 2 flats, Eb has 3
flats, Ab has 4 flats, Db has 5 flats, Gb has 6 flats and Cb has 7 flats.
Let's backtrack a little. Why is it that when we move right, the order of keys
is C G D A E B F# C#? Well it's because we are moving in fifths. G is a
fifth away from C. It's a fifth because there's a total of 5 notes, C, D, E, F
and G. An easy way to find an interval of a fifth on your piano is to count 8
keys. So from C to G, those 8 keys would be C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F# and G.
When we move left, the key before a particular key must also be a fifth
away. For instance, F is a fifth away from C (or a fifth lower than C), and
Bb is a fifth away from F. The keys simply move in fifths.
So now that you understand that each key has a certain number of sharps or
flats except for C, I will now tell you what these sharps and flats are.
The pattern for key signatures with sharps is F# C# G# D# A# E# B#.
Here's a list of major keys and the number of sharps they have, as well
as what these sharps are.
C major has no sharps or flats.
G major has one sharp, namely, F#.
D major has two sharps, namely, F# and C#.
A major has three sharp, namely, F#, C# and G#,
E major has four sharps, namely, F#, C#, G# and D#.
B major has five sharps, namely F#, C#, G#, D# and A#.
F# major has six sharps, namely, F#, C#, G#, D#, A# and E#.
C# major has seven sharps, namely, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# and B#.
You can clearly see that a different sharp is added as you move right on the
circle of fifths.
The pattern for key signatures with flats is Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb.
Here's a list of major keys and the number of flats they have, as well as
what these flats are.
C major has no sharps or flats.
F major has one flat, namely, Bb.
Bb major has two flats, namely, Bb and Eb.
Eb major has three flats, namely, Bb, Eb and Ab.
Ab major has four flats, namely, Bb, Eb, Ab and Db.
Db major has five flats, namely, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb.
Gb major has six flats, namely, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb and Cb.
Cb major has seven flats, namely, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb and Fb.
This time, a new flat is added as you move to the left on the circle of fifths.

 Notice that the order of flats is opposite to the order of flats.

Order of sharps: F# C# G# D# A# E# B#
Order of flats: Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb
As long as you understand the circle of fifths, and know the number of
sharps or flats in a key, and the order of sharps and flats, you will be able to
form major scales quite easily.
First of all, major scales must include every letter of the musical alphabet.
In other words, they must include the letters, A B C D E F G. No letter can
be repeated. The only difference in the notes of any major scale is that some
of the letters may be sharp or flat. But in any major scale, you MUST have
every letter of the musical alphabet.
Let me explain this further. The notes of the C major scale are C D E F G A
B. But how about the G major scale? We already know that the key of G
major has one sharp and that sharp is F#. Therefore the notes of the G major
scale have to be G A B C D E F#. How about the D major scale? We've
seen that the key of D major has two sharps, F# and C#. Therefore the notes
of the D major scale have to be D E F# G A B C#. Let's do one more. The
key of A major has three sharps as we have seen. The sharps are F#, C# and
G#. Therefore the notes of the A major scale are A B C# D E F# G#. Notice
that for every scale, we used all the letters of the alphabet and didn't repeat
any. Then all we did was change some of the notes to sharps.
Let's try this with the keys that contain flats. The key of F major has one
flat. What is that flat? The answer is Bb. In that case, the seven notes of the
F major scale have to be F G A Bb C D E. Here's another one. We've seen
that the key of Bb has two flats, Bb and Eb. Therefore the notes of the Bb
major scale are Bb C D Eb F G A.
I am telling you all of this because I want you to understand how scales are
formed and why every scale, except the C major scale (which uses white
keys only) has sharps or flats. On piano, every major scale, apart from the C
major scale, makes use of black keys. When you understand the circle of
fifths, you have a strong foundation to build upon, when it comes to keys,
scales and chords. If you are not sure what notes in a scale are sharp or flat,
you can always refer to the circle of fifths.
This is one way to come up with major scales. There's another way and we
will learn more about this in the following chapter.
 
Chapter 2 - How to Form Major Scales in Every
Key
 
So let’s continue to set the foundation you need to totally understand what
chords are in what keys and why.
As I mentioned in the last chapter, there's another way to form major scales.
You can form them using a formula. That formula is W W H W W W H.
This stands for whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step
- whole step - half step. What does this mean?
A half step (or semitone) is the distance between one key and the key that is
next to it. For example, C to C sharp (C#) is a half step. E to F is a half step.
Two half steps equal one whole step (or whole tone). Therefore C to D is a
whole step. D to E is a whole step. A whole step skips a key while a half
step doesn't.
Since we know what half steps and whole steps are and we know our
formula for forming a major scale, we can literally start on any key on the
piano and form a major scale.
Let's start on C and form a C major scale. Starting on C, we move one
whole step to D, a whole step to E, a half step to F, a whole step to G, a
whole step to A, a whole step to B and a half step to C. Therefore, the notes
of the C major scale are C D E F G A B C.
Let's try this with G. If we start on G, we move one whole step to A, a
whole step to B, a half step to C, a whole step to D, a whole step to E, a
whole step to F# and a half step to G. The notes of the G major scale are G
A B C D E F# G. Notice how we played F# instead of F as suggested by the
major scale formula.
Let's try one more with D. From D, we move one whole step to E, a whole
step to F#, a half step to G, a whole step to A, a whole step to B, a whole
step to C# and a half step to D. The notes of the D major scale are D E F# G
A B C# D. You would have noticed the two sharps in the D major scale, F#
and C#.
Here are the major scales in all keys.
C major scale: C – D – E – F – G – A – B - C
G major scale: G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
D major scale: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
A major scale: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
E major scale: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
B major scale: B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
F# major scale: F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
C# major scale: C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B# – C#

F major scale: F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
Bb major scale: Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
Eb major scale: Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
Ab major scale: Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
Db major scale: Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db
Gb major scale: Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb – F – Gb
Cb major scale: Cb - Db - Eb - Fb - Gb - Ab - Bb – Cb
Major Scales on the Treble Staff
 
Major Scales on Piano
 
Chapter 3 - How to Form Major, Minor and
Diminished Chords
 
Every key consists of major chords, minor chords and a diminished chord.
Actually, there are 3 major chords, 3 minor chords and 1 diminished chord,
as we shall soon see.
We've already seen that each major key or major scale has 7 notes. For each
note, we are going to form a triad chord. This means that there are 7 chords
in each key, which correspond to the 7 notes in each key's scale.
For instance, the notes of the C major scale are C D E F G A B. For each of
these seven notes, we will form a chord. These chords will be either major,
minor or diminished.
How to Form a Major Chord
Major chords are formed by combining the first, third and fifth notes of
the major scale. In other words, you combine the root, major third and
perfect fifth.
The root is the note upon which the chord is based. It is the first note in the
scale. The major third is the third note in the major scale. The perfect fifth
is the fifth note in the major scale.
Let's say you want to form the chord, C major. You simply take the C major
scale, C D E F G A B, combine the root note, C, the major third, E and the
perfect fifth, G. C, E and G are the notes of the C major chord.
Let's say you want to form the chord, F major, you simply start with the F
major scale, F G A Bb C D E, combine the root note, F, the major third, A,
and the perfect fifth, C. F, A and C are the notes of the F major chord.
Here’s one more example. To form the G major chord, simply take the G
major scale, G A B C D E F#, combine the root note, G, the major third, B,
and the perfect fifth, D. G, B and D are the notes of the G major chord.
Another way to form major chords is by using half steps. The formula is R
+ 4HS + 3 HS (root plus 4 half steps + 3 half steps). In other words, you
can start on any note, hold that note, then add the key that is four keys
higher on your piano, plus the key that is three keys higher.

How to Form a Minor Chord

The minor chord consists of a root, a minor third and a perfect fifth. For
example, the chord, A minor consists of the root note, A, a minor third, C
and a perfect fifth, E. The minor third is 3 half steps above the root note.
You can form a minor chord by using half steps (semitones). The formula
for forming a minor chord is R + 3HS + 4 HS (root plus 3 half steps + 4
half steps). What does this mean? All it means is that to form a minor
chord, you can start with the root note of the chord (the note which gives
the chord its name), play the key that is 3 half steps higher, then the key that
is 4 half steps higher. For instance, to form the chord, C minor, you can start
on C, then play Eb, since that key is 3 half steps higher, then move 4 half
steps higher from Eb and play G.
You can think of a minor chord in this way. Simply play a major chord and
play the middle note of the chord (in root position) a half step lower. In
other words, play the key that is to the immediate left of the major third
instead. Change the major third into a minor third or flat third. A minor
third is a half step lower than a major third.
How to Form a Diminished Chord
To form a diminished chord, combine the root, flat third and flat fifth of
the major scale. For example, to form a B diminished chord, combine the
root note, B, the flat third, D and the flat fifth, F. Therefore, the notes of the
B diminished chord are B-D-F.
To build a diminished chord, you can simply take a major chord and flatten
the third and fifth notes of the chord by a half step. For instance, to form an
F diminished chord, you can take the F chord with the notes F-A-C and
flatten A and C by a half step, resulting in F-Ab-Cb or an F diminished
chord.
Now that you understand the circle of fifths, how to form major scales, and
how to form major, minor and diminished chords, you are ready to learn
about the pattern of chords in every major key. In the following chapter you
will learn about the pattern which triad chords follow and how it relates to
the major scale.  You will also learn about the four-note extended chords in
a major key.
Chapter 4 - What is the Chord Pattern for a
Major Key?  - Extended Chords
 
Chords in a major key or scale follow the pattern, major - minor - minor -
major - major - minor - diminished.
For the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of the major scale, the chords used are major
chords, for the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes you use minor chords, and for the 7th
note, you play a diminished chord.
Let's use the C major scale as an example. Following the major key chord
pattern, the chords in the key of C major are C major, D minor, E minor, F
major, G major, A minor and B diminished. The 1st degree of the scale is
major, the 2nd degree is minor, the 3rd degree is minor, the 4th degree is
major, the 5th degree is major, the 6th degree is minor and the 7th degree is
a diminished chord.
Notice that for each of these 7 chords, all the notes are part of the C major
scale.
C major: C-E-G
D minor: D-F-A
E minor: E-G-B
F major: F-A-C
G major: G-B-D
A minor: A-C-E
B diminished: B-D-F
The fact that every note of each chord must be part of the major scale
makes it easy to know what chords to play on piano. For instance, let’s start
with the note, C. The chord for the note, C is C major and that’s quite
obvious since the key is based on that chord. But let’s go one step higher to
D. We can’t play D major because the notes of this chord are D-F#-A, and
F# is not part of the scale. We also can’t play D diminished either, because
its notes are D-F-Ab, and Ab is not in the C major scale. The correct chord
has to be D minor consisting of the notes D, F and A which are all part of
the C major scale.
If we move to the note F, what chord must we play? It can’t be F minor
because there is no black key in the C major scale, and Ab is not part of the
scale. Clearly, we can't play F diminished either. The correct chord is F
major, consisting of the notes, F A C.
Let’s go to the note, B. What chord should we play? Is it B major? Is it B
minor? How about B diminished? Clearly, the answer is B diminished
because this is the only chord that we can start on that note which includes
notes which are all part of the C major scale.
A common way to number chords in a major key is with the Roman
numerals, I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°.  The symbol, “°” stands for “diminished”.
Numerals that represent a major chord are capitalized, and minor and
diminished chords are lower case. Roman numerals indicate each chord’s
position relative to the scale.
So using the C major scale as an example once again, the I chord is C
major, the ii chord is D minor, the iii chord is E minor, the IV chord is F
major, the V chord is G major, the vi chord is A minor, and the vii° chord is
B diminished.
Extended Chords
You can add 7ths to each of these chords. The notes of these sevenths are all
in the major scale. When you add sevenths, this results in major 7th, minor
7th, dominant 7th, and minor 7th flat 5 (or half diminished) chords.
In case you’re not absolutely certain, here’s how these chords are formed.
Then, later on, you will learn the pattern for these four-note extended
chords.
How to form a major seventh chord
To form a major 7th chord on piano, you combine the root, major third,
perfect fifth and major 7th of the major scale. A total of four notes. For
example, the notes of a C major seventh chord are C-E-G-B. This chord is
really a major chord with an added major 7th note. Pretty straightforward.
How is it written? The symbols used for this type of chord are M7 or maj 7.
For instance C major seventh could be written as CM7 or Cmaj7. D major
seventh could be written as DM7 or Dmaj7.
Let's take a random scale, the E major scale for example. Its notes are E-F#-
G#-A-B-C#-D#-E. To form an Emaj7 chord, combine the 1st tone of the
scale, E, with the 3rd tone, G#, the 5th tone, B and the 7th tone, D#. E-G#-
B-D# are the notes of the E major seventh chord.
How to form a minor seventh chord
Let's now take a look at the minor seventh chord. Since, you already know
how to play a minor chord, all you have to do now is add one more note to
it. That note is the flat 7th note of the major scale.
To build a minor 7th chord, you combine the root, minor third, fifth and
flat seventh of the major scale. The chord spelling/formula relative to the
major scale is 1-b3-5-b7.
Let's form a C minor seventh chord. We know that the notes of the C major
scale are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. The third note in that scale is E. This is a
major third. To change the major third to a minor third, you must play the
note a half step lower. Change E to Eb. The 7th note in this scale is B.
Therefore, the flat 7th note is Bb. You simply play the 7th note a half step
lower on your keyboard. You play the key that is to the immediate left of B.
C-Eb-G-Bb is a C minor 7th chord.
This chord is represented by the symbols “-7”, “m7” or “min7”. For
example, A minor seventh can be written A-7, Am7 or Amin7. D minor
seventh can be written D-7, Dm7 or Dmin7.
How to Form a Dominant Seventh Chord
Let's learn how to form dominant seventh chords. You already know how to
play a major chord. All you have to do now is add one more note to the
major chord. That note is the flat 7th note of the major scale.
What is the flat 7th note? Let's use the C major scale as an example. The
notes of this scale are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. The 7th note in this scale is B.
Therefore, the flat 7th note is Bb (B flat). You simply play the 7th note a
half step lower on your keyboard. Simply play the note that is to the
immediate left of B.
Since the notes of the C major chord are C-E-G, the notes of the dominant
7th chord are C-E-G-Bb. The flat 7th note has been added. To build a
dominant 7th chord, you combine the root, major third, perfect fifth and
flat seventh of the major scale. The chord spelling/formula relative to the
major scale is 1-3-5-b7.
This chord is represented by the symbols dom7 or 7. For example, a C
dominant 7th chord is written C dom7 or C7. C7 is more common. When
speaking, one usually leaves out the word "dominant" and simply says "C
seventh" or "C seven".
How to Form a Minor Seventh Flat 5 or Half Diminished Chord
This chord is formed by combining the root, flattened 3rd, flattened 5th
and flattened 7th degrees of the major scale (1, b3, b5 and b7). For
example, the notes of the C half diminished (C minor seventh flat five)
chord are C Eb Gb Bb. The notes of the B minor seventh flat five are B D F
A.
This chord is written m7b5. For example, a C half diminished chord or a C
minor seventh flat five chord is written Cm7b5.
Major Key Extended Chord Pattern
The pattern for 7th chords in a major key is major 7th - minor 7th - minor
7th - major 7th - dominant 7th - minor 7th.
I - maj7
ii - min7
iii - min7
IV - maj7
V - dom7
vi - min7
vii° - min7(b5)
For instance, the 7th chords in the key of C major are C major seventh, D
minor seventh, E minor seventh, F major seventh, G dominant seventh, A
minor seventh, and B minor seventh flat five (which is the same as B half
diminished).
 
Chapter 5 - What Chords are in Each Major Key?
 
Let’s now take a look at every major key and the chords in each key. We
will take a look at triads and four-note chords in every key. Remember that
each note in the major scale is a root note for a specific chord. This means
that there are 7 triad chords in each key. (A triad is a three note chord). You
can add extensions to each of these 7 triads.
Also, remember that Roman Numerals are used to indicate each chord’s
position in the scale. Instead of writing, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 to refer to the
chords in the scale, you type I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°. Roman numerals with
capital letters represent major chords, while those with small letters
represent minor or diminished chords.
I, IV and V chords are also called primary chords. They are the most
important chords in a major key.
So let’s take a look at these chords.
Chords in All Major Keys:
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of C Major
I – C major, C major seventh (Cmaj, Cmaj7)
ii – D minor, D minor seventh (Dm, Dm7)
iii – E minor, E minor seventh (Em, Em7)
IV – F major, F major seventh (F, Fmaj 7)
V – G major, G dominant seventh (G, G7)
vi – A minor, A minor seventh (Am, Am7)
vii° – B diminished, B minor seventh flat five (B°, Bm7b5)
                                       
Chords in the Key of C Major and their Notes
Chord I, C major: C – E – G. C major seventh: C – E – G – B.
Chord ii, D minor: D – F – A. D minor seventh: D – F – A – C.
Chord iii, E minor: E – G – B. E minor seventh: E – G – B – D.
Chord IV, F major: F – A – C. F major seventh: F – A – C – E.
Chord V, G major: G – B – D. G dominant: G – B – D – F.
Chord vi, A minor: A – C – E. A minor seventh: A – C – E – G.
Chord vii°, B diminished: B – D – F. B minor seventh flat five: B – D – F –
A.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of G Major
I – G major, G major seventh (Gmaj, Gmaj7)
ii – A minor, A minor seventh (Am, Am7)
iii – B minor, B minor seventh (Bm, Bm7)
IV – C major, C major seventh (C, Cmaj 7)
V – D major, D dominant seventh (D, D7)
vi – E minor, E minor seventh (Em, Em7)
vii° – F# diminished, F# minor seventh flat five (F#°, F#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of G Major and their Notes
Chord I, G major: G – B – D. G major seventh: G – B – D – F#.
Chord ii, A minor: A – C – E. A minor seventh: A – C – E – G.
Chord iii, B minor: B – D – F#. B minor seventh: B – D – F# – A.
Chord IV, C major: C – E – G. C major seventh: C – E – G – B.
Chord V, D major: D – F# – A. D dominant seventh: D – F# – A – C.
Chord vi, E minor: E – G – B. E minor seventh: E – G – B – D.
Chord vii°, F# diminished: F# – A – C. F# minor seventh flat five: F# – A –
C – E.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of D Major
I – D major, D major seventh (Dmaj, Dmaj7)
ii – E minor, E minor seventh (Em, Em7)
iii – F# minor, F# minor seventh (F#m, F#m7)
IV – G major, G major seventh (G, Gmaj 7)
V – A major, A dominant seventh (A, A7)
vi – B minor, B minor seventh (Bm, Bm7)
vii° – C# diminished, C# minor seventh flat five (C#°, C#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of D Major and their Notes
Chord I, D major: D – F# – A. D major seventh: D – F# – A – C#.
Chord ii, E minor: E – G – B. E minor seventh: E – G – B – D.
Chord iii, F sharp minor: F# – A – C#. F# minor seventh: F# – A – C# – E.
Chord IV, G major: G – B – D. G major seventh: G – B – D – F#.
Chord V, A major: A – C# – E. A dominant seventh: A – C# – E – G.
Chord vi, B minor: B – D – F#. B minor seventh: B – D – F# – A.
Chord vii°, C# diminished: C# – E – G. C# minor seventh flat five: C# – E
– G – B.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of A Major
I – A major, A major seventh (Amaj, Amaj7)
ii – B minor, B minor seventh (Bm, Bm7)
iii – C sharp minor, C# minor seventh (C#m, C#m7)
IV – D major, D major seventh (D, Dmaj 7)
V – E major, E dominant seventh (E, E7)
vi – F sharp minor, F# minor seventh (F#m, F#m7)
vii° – G# diminished, G# minor seventh flat five (G#°, G#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of A Major and their Notes
Chord I, A major: A – C# – E. A major seventh: A – C# – E – G#.
Chord ii, B minor: B – D – F#. B minor seventh: B – D – F# – A.
Chord iii, C# minor: C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh: C# – E – G# – B.
Chord IV, D major: D – F# – A. D major seventh: D – F# – A – C#.
Chord V, E major: E – G# – B. E dominant seventh: E – G# – B – D.
Chord vi, F# minor: F# – A – C#. F# minor seventh: F# – A – C# – E.
Chord vii°, G# diminished: G# – B – D. G# minor seventh flat five: G# – B
– D – F#.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of E Major
I – E major, E major seventh (Emaj, Emaj7)
ii – F sharp minor, F# minor seventh (F#m, F#m7)
iii – G sharp minor, G# minor seventh (G#m, G#m7)
IV – A major, A major seventh (A, Amaj 7)
V – B major, B dominant seventh (B, B7)
vi – C sharp minor, C# minor seventh (C#m, C#m7)
vii° – D sharp diminished, D# minor seventh flat five (D#°, D#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of E Major and their Notes
Chord I, E major: E – G# – B. E major seventh: E – G# – B – D#.
Chord ii, F# minor: F# – A – C#. F# minor seventh: F# – A – C# – E.
Chord iii, G# minor: G# – B – D#. G# minor seventh: G# – B – D# – F#.
Chord IV, A major: A – C# – E. A major seventh: A – C# – E – G#.
Chord V, B major: B – D# – F#. B dominant seventh: B – D# – F# – A.
Chord vi, C# minor: C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh: C# – E – G# – B.
Chord vii°, D# diminished: D# – F# – A. D# minor seventh flat five: D# –
F# – A – C#.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of B Major
I – B major, B major seventh (Bmaj, Bmaj7)
ii – C# minor, C# minor seventh (C#m, C#m7)
iii – D# minor, D# minor seventh (D#m, D#m7)
IV – E major, E major seventh (E, Emaj 7)
V – F# major, F# dominant seventh (F#, F#7)
vi – G# minor, G# minor seventh (G#m, G#m7)
vii° – A# diminished, A# minor seventh flat five (A#°, A#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of B Major and their Notes
Chord I, B major: B – D# – F#. B major seventh: B – D# – F# – A#.
Chord ii, C sharp minor: C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh: C# – E – G# – B.
Chord iii, D# minor: D# – F# – A#. D# minor seventh: D# – F# – A# – C#.
Chord IV, E major: E – G# – B. E major seventh: E – G# – B – D#.
Chord V, F sharp major: F# – A# – C#. F# dominant seventh: F# – A# – C#
– E.
Chord vi, G# minor: G# – B – D#. G# minor seventh: G# – B – D# – F#.
Chord vii°, A# diminished: A# – C# – E. A# minor seventh flat five: A# –
C# – E – G#.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of F# Major
I – F sharp major, F# major seventh (F#maj, F#maj7)
ii – G sharp minor, G# minor seventh (G#m, G#m7)
iii – A sharp minor, A# minor seventh (A#m, A#m7)
IV – B major, B major seventh (B, Bmaj7)
V – C sharp major, C# dominant seventh (C#, C#7)
vi – D sharp minor, D# minor seventh (D#m, D#m7)
vii° – E sharp diminished, E# minor seventh flat five (E#°, E#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of F# Major and their Notes
Chord I, F sharp major: F# – A# – C#. F sharp major seventh: F# – A# – C#
– E#.
Chord ii, G sharp minor: G# – B – D#. G sharp minor seventh: G# – B – D#
– F#.
Chord iii, A sharp minor: A# – C# – E#. A sharp minor seventh: A# – C# –
E# – G#.
Chord IV, B major: B – D# – F#. B major seventh: B – D# – F# – A#.
Chord V, C sharp major: C# – E# – G#. C sharp dominant seventh: C# – E#
– G# – B.
Chord vi, D sharp minor: D# – F# – A#. D sharp minor seventh: D# – F# –
A# – C#.
Chord vii°, E sharp diminished: E# – G# – B. E sharp minor seventh flat
five: E# – G# – B – D#.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of C# Major
I – C sharp major, C sharp major seventh (C#maj, C#maj7)
ii – D sharp minor, D sharp minor seventh (D#m, D#m7)
iii – E sharp minor, E sharp minor seventh (E#m, E#m7)
IV – F sharp major, F sharp major seventh (F#maj, F#maj7)
V – G sharp major, G sharp dominant seventh (G#maj, G#maj7)
vi – A sharp minor, A sharp minor seventh (A#m, A#m7)
vii° – B sharp diminished, B sharp minor seventh flat five (B#°, B#m7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of C# Major and their Notes
Chord I, C sharp major: C# – E# – G#. C# major seventh: C# – E# – G# –
B#.
Chord ii, D sharp minor: D# – F# – A#. D# minor seventh D# – F# – A# –
C#.
Chord iii, E sharp minor: E# – G# – B#. E# minor seventh E# – G# – B# –
D#.
Chord IV, F sharp major: F# – A# – C#. F# major F# – A# – C# – E#.
Chord V, G sharp major: G# – B# – D#. G# major – G# – B# – D# – F#.
Chord vi, A sharp minor: A# – C# – E#. A# minor seventh – A# – C# – E#
– G#.
Chord vii°, B sharp diminished: B# – D# – F#. B# minor seventh flat five -
B# – D# – F# – A#.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of F Major
I – F major, F major seventh (Fmaj, Fmaj7)
ii – G minor, G minor seventh (Gm, Gm7)
iii – A minor, A minor seventh (Am, Am7)
IV – Bb major, Bb major seventh (Bb, Bbmaj 7)
V – C major, C dominant seventh (C, C7)
vi – D minor, D minor seventh (Dm, Dm7)
vii° – E diminished, E minor seventh flat five (E°, Em7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of F Major and their Notes
Chord I – F major: F – A – C. F major seventh: F – A – C – E.
Chord ii – G minor: G – Bb – D. G minor seventh: G – Bb – D – F.
Chord iii – A minor: A – C – E. A minor seventh: A – C – E – G.
Chord IV – Bb major: B – D – F. Bb major seventh: B – D – F – A.
Chord V – C major: C – E – G. C dominant seventh: C – E – G – Bb.
Chord vi – D minor: D – F – A. D minor seventh: D – F – A – C.
Chord vii° – E diminished: E – G – Bb. E minor seventh flat five: E – G –
Bb – D.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Bb Major
Chord I – Bb major, Bb major seventh (Bbmaj, Bbmaj7)
Chord ii – C minor, C minor seventh (Cm, Cm7)
Chord iii – D minor, D minor seventh (Dm, Dm7)
Chord IV – E flat major, E flat major seventh (Ebmaj, Ebmaj7)
chord V – F major, F dominant seventh (F, F7)
Chord vi – G minor, G minor seventh (Gm, Gm7)
Chord vii° – A diminished, A minor seventh flat five (A°, Am7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of Bb Major and their Notes
Chord I, B flat major: Bb – D – F. Bb major seventh: Bb – D – F – A.
Chord ii, C minor: C – Eb – G. C minor seventh: C – Eb – G – Bb.
Chord iii, D minor: D – F – A. D minor seventh: D – F – A – C.
Chord IV, E flat major: Eb – G – Bb. Eb major seventh: Eb – G – Bb – D.
Chord V, F major: F – A – C. F dominant seventh: F – A – C – Eb.
Chord vi, G minor: G – Bb – D. G minor seventh: G – Bb – D – F.
Chord vii°, A diminished: A – C – Eb. A minor seventh flat five: A – C –
Eb – G.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Eb Major
I – Eb major, Eb major seventh (Ebmaj, Ebmaj7)
ii – F minor, F minor seventh (Fm, Fm7)
iii – G minor, G minor seventh (Gm, Gm7)
IV – Ab major, Ab major seventh (Ab, Abmaj 7)
V – Bb major, Bb dominant seventh (Bb, Bb7)
vi – C minor, C minor seventh (Cm, Cm7)
vii° – D diminished, D minor seventh flat five (D°, Dm7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of Eb Major and their Notes
Chord I – E flat major: Eb – G – Bb. Eb major seventh: Eb – G – Bb – D.
Chord ii – F minor: F – Ab – C. F minor seventh: F – Ab – C – Eb.
Chord iii – G minor: G – Bb – D. G minor seventh: G – Bb – D – F.
Chord IV – A flat major: Ab – C – Eb. Ab major seventh: Ab – C – Eb – G.
Chord V – B flat major: Bb – D – F. Bb dominant seventh: Bb – D – F –
Ab.
Chord vi – C minor: C – Eb – G. C minor seventh: C – Eb – G – Bb.
Chord vii° – D diminished: D – F – Ab. D minor seventh flat five: D – F –
Ab – C.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Ab Major
I – Ab major, Ab major seventh (Abmaj, Abmaj7)
ii – Bb minor, Bb minor seventh (Bbm, Bbm7)
iii – C minor, C minor seventh (Cm, Cm7)
IV – Db major, Db major seventh (Db, Dbmaj 7)
V – Eb major, Eb dominant seventh (Eb, Eb7)
vi – F minor, F minor seventh (Fm, Fm7)
vii° – G diminished, G minor seventh flat five (G°, Gm7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of Ab Major and their Notes
Chord I, A flat major: Ab – C – Eb. Ab major seventh: Ab – C – Eb – G.
Chord ii, B flat minor: Bb – Db – F. Bb minor seventh: Bb – Db – F – Ab.
Chord iii, C minor: C – Eb – G. C minor seventh: C – Eb – G – Bb.
Chord IV, Db major: Db – F – Ab. Db major seventh: Db – F – Ab – C.
Chord V, E flat major: Eb – G – Bb. Eb dominant seventh: Eb – G – Bb –
Db.
Chord vi, F minor: F – Ab – C. F minor seventh: F – Ab – C – Eb.
Chord vii°, G diminished: G – Bb – Db. G minor seventh flat five: G – Bb –
Db – F.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Db Major
I – Db major, Db major seventh (bDmaj, Dbmaj7)
ii – Eb minor, Eb minor seventh (Ebm, Ebm7)
iii – F minor, F minor seventh (Fm, Fm7)
IV – Gb major, Gb major seventh (Gb, Gbmaj 7)
V – Ab major, Ab dominant seventh (Ab, Ab7)
vi – Bb minor, Bb minor seventh (Bbm, Bbm7)
vii° – C diminished, C minor seventh flat five (C°, Cm7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of Db Major and their Notes
Chord I, Db major: Db – F – Ab. Db major seventh: Db – F – Ab – C.
Chord ii, Eb minor: Eb – Gb – Bb. Eb minor seventh: Eb – Gb – Bb – Db.
Chord iii, F minor: F – Ab – C. F minor seventh: F – Ab – C – Eb.
Chord IV, Gb major: Gb – Bb – Db. Gb major seventh: Gb – Bb – Db – F.
Chord V, Ab major: Ab – C – Eb. Ab dominant seventh: Ab – C – Eb – Gb.
Chord vi, Bb minor: Bb – Db – F. Bb minor seventh: Bb – Db – F – Ab.
Chord vii°, C diminished: C – Eb – Gb. C minor seventh flat five: C – Eb –
Gb – Bb.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Gb Major
I – G flat major, Gb major seventh (Gbmaj, Gbmaj7)
ii – A flat minor, Ab minor seventh (Abm, Abm7)
iii – B flat minor, Bb minor seventh (Bbm, Bbm7)
IV – C flat major, Cb major seventh (Cb, Cbmaj 7)
V – D flat major, Db dominant seventh (Db, Db7)
vi – E flat minor, Eb minor seventh (Ebm, Ebm7)
vii° – F diminished, F minor seventh flat five (F°, Fm7b5)
 
Chords in the Key of Gb Major and their Notes
Chord I, Gb: Gb – Bb – Db. G major seventh: Gb – Bb – Db – F.
Chord ii, Ab minor: Ab – Cb – Eb. Ab minor seventh: Ab – Cb – Eb – Gb.
Chord iii, Bb minor: Bb – Db – F. Bb minor seventh: Bb – Db – F – Ab.
Chord IV, Cb major: Cb – Eb – Gb. Cb major seventh: Cb – Eb – Gb – Bb.
Chord V, Db major: Db – F – Ab. Db dominant seventh: Db – F – Ab – Cb.
Chord vi, Eb minor: Eb – Gb – Bb. Eb minor seventh: Eb – Gb – Bb – Db.
Chord vii°, F diminished: F – Ab – Cb. F minor seventh flat five: F – Ab –
Cb – Eb.
 
Chapter 6 - Common Chord Progressions in
Major Keys
 
You can use all these chords to come up with chord progressions in every
key. This is particular good for writing songs.
It's good to know the chords in every key. It will make you a much better
player.
Let's now take a look at common chord progressions. As we saw earlier, a
common way to number chords in a major scale is by Roman numerals. For
the major scale, the numerals are I ii iii IV V vi vii°. Chord I is a major
chord, chord ii is a minor chord, chord iii is a minor chord, chord IV is a
major chord, V is major, vi is minor and vii° is a diminished chord. In the
key of C major for example, this would give us the chords, C major, D
minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor and B diminished.
Popular chord progressions include:
I-IV-V
I-vi-IV-V
I-vi-ii-V
I-V-vi-IV
I-IV-vi-V
I-iii-IV-V
I-IV-I-V
I-IV-ii-V (and)
ii-V-I.
Many popular songs have been written and are still being written to these
chord progressions. For the ii-V-I chord progression, the seventh notes are
normally added.
As long as you know the major scale and chords of a particular key, you can
form any one of the chord progressions listed above.
Let's take a look at chord progressions in the popular keys of C, D, F, G and
A major.
 

Key of C Major (The notes of the C major scale are C D E F G A B.)

I-IV-V: C-F-G
I-vi-IV-V: C-Am-F-G
I-vi-ii-V: C-Am-Dm-G
I-V-vi-IV: C-G-Am-F
I-IV-vi-V: C-F-Am-G
I-iii-IV-V: C-Em-F-G
I-IV-I-V: C-F-C-G
I-IV-ii-V: C-F-Dm-G
ii-V-I: Dm7–G7–Cmaj7
 
Key of D Major (The notes of the D major scale are D E F# G A B C#.)
I-IV-V: D-G-A
I-vi-IV-V: D-Bm-G-A
I-vi-ii-V: D-Bm-Em-A
I-V-vi-IV: D-A-Bm-G
I-IV-vi-V: D-G-Bm-A
I-iii-IV-V: D-F#m-G-A
I-IV-I-V: D-G-D-A
I-IV-ii-V: D-G-Em-A
ii-V-I: Em7–A7–Dmaj7
 
Key of F Major (The notes of the F major scale are F G A Bb C D E.)
I-IV-V: F-Bb-C
I-vi-IV-V: F-Dm-Bb-C
I-vi-ii-V: F-Dm-Gm-C
I-V-vi-IV: F-C-Dm-Bb
I-IV-vi-V: F-Bb-Dm-C
I-iii-IV-V: F-Am-Bb-C
I-IV-I-V: F-Bb-F-C
I-IV-ii-V: F-Bb-Gm-C
ii-V-I: Gm7–C7–Fmaj7
 
Key of G Major (The notes of the G major scale are G A B C D E F#.)
I-IV-V: G-C-D
I-vi-IV-V: G-Em-C-D
I-vi-ii-V: G-Em-Am-D
I-V-vi-IV: G-D-Em-C
I-IV-vi-V: G-C-Em-D
I-iii-IV-V: G-Bm-C-D
I-IV-I-V: G-C-G-D
I-IV-ii-V: G-C-Am-D
ii-V-I: Am7–D7–Gmaj7
 
Key of A Major (The notes of the A major scale are A B C# D E F# G#
A.)
I-IV-V: A-D-E
I-vi-IV-V: A-F#m-D-E
I-vi-ii-V: A-F#m-Bm-E
I-V-vi-IV: A-E-F#m-D
I-IV-vi-V: A-D-F#m-E
I-iii-IV-V: A-C#m-D-E
I-IV-I-V: A-D-A-E
I-IV-ii-V: A-D-Bm-E
ii-V-I: Bm7–E7–Amaj7
The following are 7 common chord progressions as well as the titles of hit
songs that make use of them.
I-V-vi-IV: With Or Without You – U2
I-IV-V-I: Lay Down Sally – Eric Clapton
I-vi-IV-V: Stand By Me – Ben E. King
I-IV-ii-V: Run Around – Blues Traveler
I-IV-I-V: Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
I-iii-IV-V: The Weight – The Band
I-ii-iii-IV-V: Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Try to come up with chords in other keys based on the chord progressions
listed earlier.
Chapter 7 - Minor Keys, Minor Scales and the
Relative Minor
 
Until now, we have only looked at major keys and major scales. It's now
time to take a look at minor keys and scales.
Let's take a look at the circle of fifths once again. This time we include
minor keys.

We saw at the start of this book, that starting with C and moving to the right
(or clockwise) tells us the keys containing sharps, while moving to the left
(or counterclockwise) from C tells us the keys containing flats. If we start
on C and move right, the keys move in the order, C G D A E B F# C#. If we
start on C and move left, the keys move in the order, C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb
Cb.
We will now talk about the relative minor. Each major key has what is
known as a relative minor, built on the 6th degree of the major scale. A
major key and its relative minor consists of the same notes. For example the
notes of the C major scale are C D E F G A B C. The 6th degree of the C
major scale is A. Hence, the relative minor of C major is A minor. The
notes of the A minor scale are the same as that of the C major scale. The
notes of the A minor scale are A B C D E F G A. The only difference is the
starting note.
Here’s another example: The notes of the G major scale are G A B C D E
F# G. The 6th degree of the scale is E. Hence, the relative minor of the G
major scale is E minor. The notes of the E minor scale are E F# G A B C D
E. Once again, we see that the notes are identical and the only difference is
the root note of the scale.
A major scale and its relative minor has the same key signature. For
instance, there are no sharps or flats in the C major key signature and
likewise, there are no sharps or flats in the A minor key signature. There is
one sharp in the G major key signature and similarly, there is one sharp in
the E minor key signature.
If you know your major scales, it's very easy to form their relative minors.
Simply start on the 6th degree of the major scale.
On the right side of the circle of fifths, after the A minor key, minor keys
containing sharps move in the order Em, Bm, F#m, C#m, G#m. On the left
side, after the key of A minor, minor keys containing flats move in the
order, Dm, Gm, Cm, Fm, Bbm, Ebm.
Here's a list of major keys and their relative minors.
Sharps (major – relative minor)
C major – A minor
G major – E minor
D major – B minor
A major – F sharp minor
E major – C sharp minor
B major – G sharp minor
F sharp major – D sharp minor
C sharp major – A sharp minor
 
Flats (major – relative minor)
C major – A minor
F major – D minor
B flat major – G minor
E flat major – C minor
A flat major – F minor
D flat major – B flat minor
G flat major – E flat minor
C flat major – A flat minor
Natural minor scales follow a simple formula. That formula is whole - half -
whole - whole - half - whole - whole or W-H-W-W-H-W-W. As we saw
earlier, "whole" stands for whole step and "half" stands for half step. So in
other words, the formula for forming a minor scale is whole step - half step
- whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step.
With this formula, we can start on any note and form a minor scale.
Let's start on A. We are going to form an A minor scale. Starting on A, let's
move a whole step higher. This takes us to B. Let's move a half step higher.
This takes us to C. Following our minor scale formula, let's move another
whole step higher. This takes us to D. From D, we move a whole step
higher. This takes us to E. From E, we move a half step higher. This takes
us to F. From F, we move a whole step higher. This takes us to G. From G
we move another whole step higher and this takes us to A. A-B-C-D-E-F-
G-A. There we have it. The A natural minor scale. That wasn't hard. All we
did was follow the formula, W-H-W-W-H-W-W and we came up with an A
minor scale.
Natural Minor Scales
Here's a list of natural minor scales in each key.
A minor scale: A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
E minor scale: E – F# – G – A – B – C – D – E
B minor scale: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A – B
F sharp minor scale: F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E – F#
C sharp minor scale: C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B – C#
G sharp minor scale: G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#
D sharp minor scale: D# - E# - F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D#
A sharp minor scale: A# – B# – C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A#
 
D minor scale: D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C – D
G minor scale: G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G
C minor scale: C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C
F minor scale: F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F
B flat minor scale: Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb
E flat minor scale: Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb
A flat minor scale: Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb – Fb – Gb – Ab
Minor Scales on the Staff:
 
 
Minor Scales on Piano:
Chapter 8 - What is the Chord Pattern for a
Minor Key? - Extended Chords
 
Chords in a minor key or scale follow the pattern, minor - diminished -
major - minor - minor - major - major. For the 3rd, 6th and 7th notes of
the major scale, the chords used are major chords, for the 1st, 4th and 5th
notes you use minor chords, and for the 2nd note, you play a diminished
chord.
Let's use the A minor scale as an example. Following this pattern, the
chords in the key of A minor are A minor, B diminished, C major, D minor,
E minor, F major and G major. The 1st degree of the scale is minor, the 2nd
degree is diminished, the 3rd degree is major, the 4th degree is major, the
5th degree is minor, the 6th degree is major and the 7th degree is a major
chord.
Notice that for each of these 7 chords, all the notes are part of the A minor
scale. They are also part of the C major scale because A minor is the
relative minor of C major.
Chords in the Key of A minor and their Notes
A minor: A-C-E
B diminished: B-D-F
C major: C-E-G
D minor: D-F-A
E minor: E-G-B
F major: F-A-C
G major: G-B-D
A common way to number chords in a minor key is with the Roman
numerals, i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII. Numerals that represent a major chord
are capitalized, and minor and diminished chords are lower case. Roman
numerals indicate each chord’s position relative to the scale.
So using the A minor scale as an example once again, the i chord is A
minor, the ii° chord is B diminished, the III chord is C major, the iv chord is
D minor, the v chord is E minor, the IV chord is F major and the VII chord
is G major.
Extended Chords
You can also add 7ths to each of these chords. This will result in major 7th,
minor 7th, dominant 7th, and minor 7th flat 5 (or half diminished) chords.
You already know how to form these chords; we looked at this in Chapter 4.
Let’s recap quickly.
To form a major 7th chord on piano, you combine the root, major third,
perfect fifth and major 7th of the major scale. The chord spelling/formula
relative to the major scale is 1-3-5-7.
To form a minor 7th chord, you combine the root, minor third, fifth and flat
seventh of the major scale. The chord spelling/formula relative to the major
scale is 1-b3-5-b7.
To form a dominant 7th chord, you combine the root, major third, perfect
fifth and flat seventh of the major scale. The chord spelling/formula relative
to the major scale is 1-3-5-b7.
The pattern for 7th chords in a minor key is minor 7th – minor 7th flat five
– major 7th – minor 7th – major 7th – dominant 7th.
i - min7
ii° - min7(b5)
III - maj7
iv - min7
v - min7
VI - maj7
VII - dom7
For instance, the 7th chords in the key of A minor are A minor seventh, B
minor seventh flat five (which is the same as B half diminished), C major
seventh, D minor seventh, E minor seventh, F major seventh and G
dominant seventh.
Chapter 9 - What Chords are in Each Minor Key?
 
Since you know the pattern of chords in minor keys, it’s now time to take a
look at triads and four-note extended chords in every minor key.
First of all, here’s a diagram of chords in every minor key.
Chords in All Minor Keys:

Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of A Minor

i – A minor, A minor seventh (Amin, Amin7)
ii° – B diminished, B minor seventh flat five (Bdim, Bm7b5)
III – C major, C major seventh (Cmaj, Cmaj7)
iv – D minor, D minor seventh (Dmin, Dmin7)
v – E minor, E minor seventh (Emin, Emin7)
VI – F major, F major seventh (Fmaj, Fmaj7)
VII – G major, G dominant seventh (Gmaj, G7)
 
Chords in the Key of A Minor and their Notes
Chord i – A minor: A – C – E. A minor seventh: A – C – E – G.
Chord ii° – B diminished: B – D – F. B minor seventh flat five: B – D – F –
A.
Chord III – C major: C – E – G. C major seventh: C – E – G – B.
Chord iv – D minor: D – F – A. D minor seventh: D – F – A – C.
Chord v – E minor: E – G – B. E minor seventh: E – G – B – D.
Chord VI – F major: F – A – C.  F major seventh: F – A – C – E.
Chord VII – G major: G – B – D.  G dominant seventh: G – B – D – F.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of E Minor
i – E minor, E minor seventh (Emin, Emin7)
ii° – F# diminished, F# minor seventh flat five (F#dim, F#m7b5)
III – G major, G major seventh (Gmaj, Gmaj7)
iv – A minor, A minor seventh (Amin, Amin7)
v – B minor, B minor seventh (Bmin, Bmin7)
VI – C major, C major seventh (Cmaj, Cmaj7)
VII – D major, D dominant seventh (Dmaj, D7)
 
Chords in the Key of E Minor and their Notes
Chord i – E minor: E – G – B. E minor seventh: E – G – B – D.
Chord ii° – F# diminished: F# – A – C. F# minor seventh flat five: F# – A –
C – E.
Chord III – G major: G – B – D. G major seventh: G – B – D – F#.
Chord iv – A minor: A – C – E. A minor seventh: A – C – E – G.
Chord v – B minor: B – D – F#. B minor seventh: B – D – F# – A.
Chord VI – C major: C – E – G. C major seventh: C – E – G – B.
Chord VII – D major: D – F# – A. D dominant seventh: D – F# – A – C.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of B Minor
i – B minor, B minor seventh (Bmin, Bmin7)
ii° – C# diminished, C# minor seventh flat five (C#dim, C#m7b5)
III – D major, D major seventh (Dmaj, Dmaj7)
iv – E minor, E minor seventh (Emin, Emin7)
v – F# minor, F# minor seventh (F#min, F#min7)
VI – G major, G major seventh (Gmaj, Gmaj7)
VII – A major, A dominant seventh (Amaj, A7)
 
Chords in the Key of B Minor and their Notes
Chord i – B minor: B – D – F#. B minor seventh: B – D – F# – A.
Chord ii° – C# diminished: C# – E- G. C# minor seventh flat five: C# – E –
G – B.
Chord III – D major: D – F# – A. D major seventh: D – F# – A – C#.
Chord iv – E minor: E – G – B. E minor seventh: E – G – B – D.
Chord v – F sharp minor: F# – A – C#. F# minor seventh: F# – A – C# – E.
Chord VI – G major: G – B – D. G major seventh: G – B – D – F#.
Chord VII – A major: A – C# – E. A  dominant seventh: A – C# – E – G.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of F# Minor
i – F sharp minor, F# minor seventh (F#min, F#min7)
ii° – G sharp diminished, G# minor seventh flat five (G#dim, G#m7b5)
III – A major, A major seventh (Amaj, Amaj7)
iv – B minor, B minor seventh (Bmin, Bmin7)
v – C sharp minor, C# minor seventh (C#min, C#min7)
VI – D major, D major seventh (Dmaj, Dmaj7)
VII – E major, E dominant seventh (Emaj, E7)
 
Chords in the Key of F# Minor and their Notes
Chord i – F# minor: F# – A – C#. F minor seventh: F# – A – C# – E.
Chord ii° – G# diminished: G# – B – D. G# minor seventh flat five: G# – B
– D – F#.
Chord III – A major: A – C# – E. A major seventh: A – C# – E – G#.
Chord iv – B minor: B – D – F#. B minor seventh: B – D – F# – A.
Chord v – C# minor: C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh: C# – E – G# – B.
Chord VI – D major: D – F# – A. D major seventh: D – F# – A – C#.
Chord VII – E major: E – G# – B. E dominant seventh: E – G# – B – D.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of C# Minor
i – C# minor, C# minor seventh (C#min, C#min7)
ii° – D# diminished, D# minor seventh flat five (D#dim, D#m7b5)
III – E major, E major seventh (Emaj, Emaj7)
iv – F# minor, F# minor seventh (F#min, F#min7)
v – G# minor, G# minor seventh (G#min, G#min7)
VI – A major, A major seventh (Amaj, Amaj7)
VII – B major, B dominant seventh (Bmaj, B7)
 
Chords in the Key of C# Minor and their Notes
Chord i – C sharp minor: C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh: C# – E – G# – B.
Chord ii° – D sharp diminished: D# – F# – A.  D# minor seventh flat five:
D# – F# – A – C#.
Chord III – E major: E – G# – B. E major seventh: E – G# – B – D#.
Chord iv – F sharp minor: F# – A – C#. F# minor seventh: F# – A – C# – E.
Chord v – G sharp minor: G# – B – D#. G# minor seventh: G# – B – D# –
F#.
Chord VI – A major: A – C# – E. A major seventh: A – C# – E – G#.
Chord VII – B major: B – D# – F#. B dominant seventh: B – D# – F# – A.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of G# Minor
i – G sharp minor, G# minor seventh (G#min, G#min7)
ii° – A sharp diminished, A# minor seventh flat five (A#dim, A#m7b5)
III – B major, B major seventh (Bmaj, Bmaj7)
iv – C sharp minor, C# minor seventh (C#min, C#min7)
v – D sharp minor, D# minor seventh (D#min, D#min7)
VI – E major, E major seventh (Emaj, Emaj7)
VII – F sharp major, F# dominant seventh (F#maj, F#7)
 
Chords in the Key of G# Minor and their Notes
Chord i – G# minor: G# – B – D#. G# minor seventh: G# – B – D# – F#.
Chord ii° – A# diminished: A# – C# – E. A# minor seventh flat five: A# –
C# – E – G#.
Chord III – B major: B – D# – F#. B major seventh: B – D# – F# – A#.
Chord iv – C# minor: C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh: C# – E – G# – B.
Chord v – D# minor: D# – F# – A#. D# minor seventh: D# – F# – A# – C#.
Chord VI – E major: E – G# – B. E major seventh: E – G# – B – D#.
Chord VII – F# major: F# – A# – C#. F# dominant seventh: F# – A# – C# –
E.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of D# Minor
i – D# minor, D# minor seventh (D#min, D#min7)
ii° – E# diminished, E# minor seventh flat five (E#dim, E#m7b5)
III – F# major, F# major seventh (F#maj, F#maj7)
iv – G# minor, G# minor seventh (G#min, G#min7)
v – A# minor, A# minor seventh (A#min, A#min7)
VI – B major, B major seventh (Bmaj, Bmaj7)
VII – C# major, C# dominant seventh (C#maj, C#7)
 
Chords in the Key of D# Minor and their Notes
Chord i – D sharp minor: D# – F# – A#. D# minor seventh: D# – F# – A# –
C#.
Chord ii° – E sharp diminished: E# – G# – B. E# minor seventh flat five: E#
– G# – B – D#.
Chord III – F sharp major: F# – A# – C#. F# major seventh: F# – A# – C# –
E#.
Chord iv – G sharp minor: G# – B – D#. G# minor seventh: G# – B – D# –
F#.
Chord v – A sharp minor: A# – C# – E#. A# minor seventh: A# – C# – E# –
G#.
Chord VI – B major: B – D# – F#. B major seventh: B – D# – F# – A#
Chord VII – C sharp major: C# – E# – G#. C# dominant seventh: C# – E# –
G# – B.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of A# Minor
i – A# minor, A# minor seventh (A#min, A#min7)
ii° – B# diminished, B# minor seventh flat five (B#dim, B#m7b5)
III – C# major, C# major seventh (C#maj, C#maj7)
iv – D# minor, D# minor seventh (D#min, D#min7)
v – E# minor, E# minor seventh (E#min, E#min7)
VI – F# major, F# major seventh (F#maj, F#maj7)
VII – G# major, G# dominant seventh (G#maj, G#7)
 
Chords in the Key of A# Minor and their Notes
Chord i – A sharp minor: A# – C# – E#. A# minor seventh: A# – C# – E# –
G#.
Chord ii° – B sharp diminished: B# – D# – F#. B# minor seventh flat five:
B# – D# – F# – A#.
Chord III – C sharp major: C# – E# – G#. C# major seventh: C# – E# – G#
– B#.
Chord iv – D sharp minor: D# – F# – A#. D# minor seventh: D# – F# – A#
– C#
Chord v – E sharp minor: E# – G# – B#. E# minor seventh: E# – G# – B# –
D#.
Chord VI – F sharp major: F# – A# – C#. F# major seventh: F# – A# – C# –
E#.
Chord VII – G sharp major: G# – B# – D#. G# dominant seventh: G# – B#
– D# – F.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of D Minor
i – D minor, D minor seventh (Dmin, Dmin7)
ii° – E diminished, E minor seventh flat five (Edim, Em7b5)
III – F major, F major seventh (Fmaj, Fmaj7)
iv – G minor, G minor seventh (Gmin, Gmin7)
v – A minor, A minor seventh (Amin, Amin7)
VI – B flat major, B flat major seventh (Bbmaj, Bbmaj7)
VII – C major, C dominant seventh (Cmaj, C7)
 
Chords in the Key of D Minor and their Notes
Chord i – D minor: D – F – A. D minor seventh: D – F – A – C.
Chord ii° – E diminished: E – G – Bb. E minor seventh flat five: E – G – Bb
– D.
Chord III – F major: F – A – C. F major seventh: F – A – C – E.
Chord iv – G minor: G – Bb – D. G minor seventh: G – Bb – D – F.
Chord v – A minor: A – C – E. A minor seventh: A – C – E – G.
Chord VI – B flat major: Bb – D – F. B flat major seventh: Bb – D – F – A.
Chord VII – C major: C – E – G. C dominant seventh: C – E – G – Bb.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of G Minor
i – G minor, G minor seventh (Gmin, Gmin7)
ii° – A diminished, A minor seventh flat five (Adim, Am7b5)
III – B flat major, Bb major seventh (Bbmaj, Bbmaj7)
iv – C minor, C minor seventh (Cmin, Cmin7)
v – D minor, D minor seventh (Dmin, Dmin7)
VI – E flat major, Eb major seventh (Ebmaj, Ebmaj7)
VII – F major, F dominant seventh (Fmaj, F7)
 
Chords in the Key of G Minor and their Notes
Chord i – G minor: G – Bb – D. G minor seventh: G – Bb – D – F.
Chord ii° – A diminished: A – C – Eb. A minor seventh flat five: A – C –
Eb – G.
Chord III – Bb major: Bb – D – F. Bb major seventh: Bb – D – F – A.
Chord iv – C minor: C – Eb – G. C minor seventh: C – Eb – G – Bb.
Chord v – D minor: D – F – A. D minor seventh: D – F – A – C.
Chord VI – Eb major: Eb – G – Bb. Eb major seventh: Eb – G – Bb – D.
Chord VII – F major: F – A – C. F dominant seventh: F – A – C – Eb.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of C Minor
i – C minor, C minor seventh (Cmin, Cmin7)
ii° – D diminished, D minor seventh flat five (Ddim, Dm7b5)
III – E flat major, E flat major seventh (Ebmaj, Ebmaj7)
iv – F minor, F minor seventh (Fmin, Fmin7)
v – G minor, G minor seventh (Gmin, Gmin7)           
VI – A flat major, A flat major seventh (Abmaj, Abmaj7)
VII – B flat major, B flat dominant seventh (Bbmaj, Bb7)
 
Chords in the Key of C Minor and their Notes
Chord i – C minor: C – Eb – G. C minor seventh: C – Eb – G – Bb.
Chord ii° – D diminished: D – F – Ab.  D minor seventh flat five: D – F –
Ab – C.
Chord III – E flat major: Eb – G – Bb. E flat major seventh: Eb – G – Bb –
D.
Chord iv – F minor: F – Ab – C. F minor seventh: F – Ab – C – Eb.
Chord v – G minor: G – Bb – D. G minor seventh: G – Bb – D – F.
Chord VI – A flat major: Ab – C – Eb. A flat major seventh: Ab – C – Eb –
G.
Chord VII – B flat major: Bb – D – F. B flat dominant seventh: Bb – D – F
– Ab.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of F Minor
i – F minor, F minor seventh (Fmin, Fmin7)
ii° – G diminished, G minor seventh flat five (Gdim, Gm7b5)
III – Ab major, Ab major seventh (Abmaj, Abmaj7)
iv – Bb minor, Bb minor seventh (Bbmin, Bbmin7)
v – C minor, C minor seventh (Cmin, Cmin7)
VI – Db major, Db major seventh (Dbmaj, Dbmaj7)
VII – Eb major, Eb dominant seventh (Ebmaj, Eb7)
 
Chords in the Key of F Minor and their Notes
Chord i – F minor: F – Ab – C. F minor seventh: F – Ab – C – Eb.
Chord ii° – G diminished: G – Bb – Db. G minor seventh flat five: G – Bb –
Db – F.
III – A flat major: Ab – C – Eb. Ab major seventh: Ab – C – Eb – G.
Chord iv – B flat minor: Bb – Db – F. Bb minor seventh: Bb – Db – F – Ab.
Chord v – C minor: C – Eb – G. C minor seventh: C – Eb – G – Bb.
Chord VI – D flat major: Db – F – Ab. Db major seventh: Db – F – Ab – C.
Chord VII – E flat major: Eb – G – Bb. Eb dominant seventh: Eb – G – Bb
– Db.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Bb Minor
i – Bb minor, Bb minor seventh (Bbmin, Bbmin7)
ii° – C diminished, C minor seventh flat five (Cdim, Cm7b5)
III – Db major, Db major seventh (Dbmaj, Dbmaj7)
iv – Eb minor, Eb minor seventh (Ebmin, Ebmin7)
v – F minor, F minor seventh (Fmin, Fmin7)
VI – Gb major, Gb major seventh (Gbmaj, Gbmaj7)
VII – Ab major, Ab dominant seventh (Abmaj, Ab7)
 
Chords in the Key of Bb Minor and their Notes
Chord i – B flat minor: Bb – Db – F. Bb minor seventh: Bb – Db – F – Ab.
Chord ii° – C diminished: C – Eb- Gb. C minor seventh flat five: C – Eb –
Gb – Bb.
Chord III – Db major: Db – F – Ab. Db major seventh: Db – F – Ab – C.
Chord iv – E flat minor: Eb – Gb – Bb. Eb minor seventh: Eb – Gb – Bb –
Db.
Chord v – F minor: F – Ab – C. F minor seventh: F – Ab – C – Eb.
Chord VI – Gb major: Gb – Bb – Db. Gb major seventh: Gb – Bb – Db – F.
Chord VII – Ab major: Ab – C – Eb. Ab dominant seventh: Ab – C – Eb –
Gb.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Eb Minor
i – Eb minor, Eb minor seventh (Ebmin, Ebmin7)
ii° – F diminished, F minor seventh flat five (Fdim, Fm7b5)
III – Gb major, Gb major seventh (Gbmaj, Gbmaj7)
iv – Ab minor, Ab minor seventh (Abmin, Abmin7)
v – Bb minor, Bb minor seventh (Bbmin, Bbmin7)
VI – Cb major, Cb major seventh (Cbmaj, Cbmaj7)
VII – Db major, Db dominant seventh (Dbmaj, Db7)
 
Chords in the Key of Eb Minor and their Notes
Chord i – E flat minor: Eb – Gb – Bb. Eb minor seventh: Eb – Gb – Bb –
Db.
Chord ii° – F diminished: F – Ab – Cb. F minor seventh flat five: F – Ab –
Cb – Eb.
Chord III – Gb major: Gb – Bb – Db. Gb major seventh: Gb – Bb – Db – F.
Chord iv – Ab minor: Ab – Cb – Eb. Ab minor seventh: Ab – Cb – Eb –
Gb.
Chord v – Bb minor: Bb – Db – F. Bb minor seventh: Bb – Db – F – Ab.
Chord VI – Cb major: Cb – Eb – Gb. Cb major seventh: Cb – Eb – Gb –
Bb.
Chord VII – Db major: Db – F – Ab. Db dominant seventh: Db – F – Ab –
Cb.
 
Triads and Four Note Extended Chords in the Key of Ab Minor
i – Ab minor, Ab minor seventh (Abmin, Abmin7)
ii° – Bb diminished, Bb minor seventh flat five (Bbdim, Bbm7b5)
III – Cb major, Cb major seventh (Cbmaj, Cbmaj7)
iv – Db minor, Db minor seventh (Dbmin, Dbmin7)
v – Eb minor, Eb minor seventh (Ebmin, Ebmin7)
VI – Fb major, Fb major seventh (Fbmaj, Fbmaj7)
VII – Gb major, Gb dominant seventh (Gbmaj, Gb7)
 
Chords in the Key of Ab Minor and their Notes
Chord i – A flat minor: Ab – Cb – Eb. Ab minor seventh: Ab – Cb – Eb –
Gb.
Chord ii° – B flat diminished: Bb – Db – Fb. Bb minor seventh flat five: Bb
– Db – Fb – Ab.
Chord III – C flat major: Cb – Eb – Gb. Cb major seventh: Cb – Eb – Gb –
Bb.
Chord iv – D flat minor: Db – Fb – Ab. Db minor seventh: Db – Fb – Ab –
Cb.
Chord v – E flat minor: Eb – Gb – Bb. Eb minor seventh: Eb – Gb – Bb –
Db.
Chord VI – F flat major: Fb – Ab – Cb. Fb major seventh: Fb – Ab – Cb –
Eb.
Chord VII – G flat major: Gb – Bb – Db. Gb dominant seventh: Gb – Bb –
Db – Fb.
Chapter 10 - Common Chord Progressions in
Minor Keys
 
Let's take a look at a few popular chord progressions in minor keys.
The sequence of chords for the minor scale, as we've seen, is minor -
diminished - major - minor - minor - major - major. For example, in the key
of A minor, the scale is A-B-C-D-E-F-G and the sequence of chords is A
minor, B diminished, C major, D minor, E minor, F major, and G major.
Roman numerals indicate the position of notes in the minor scale. They are
i ii° III iv v VI VII.

Key of A minor:
i-VI-VII: Am-F-G
i-iv-VII: Am-Dm-G
i-iv-v: Am-Dm-Em
i-VI-III-VII: Am-F-C-G
 
Key of D minor: (The notes of the D minor scale are D E F G A Bb C.)
i-VI-VII: Dm-Bb-C
i-iv-VII: Dm-Gm-C
i-iv-v: Dm-Gm-Am
i-VI-III-VII: Dm-Bb-F-C
 
Key of E Minor: (The notes of the E minor scale are E F# G A B C D.)
i-VI-VII: Em-C-D
i-iv-VII: Em-Am-D
i-iv-v: Em-Am-Bm
i-VI-III-VII: Em-C-G-D
 
Key of F Minor: (The notes of the F minor scale are F G Ab Bb C Db Eb.)
i-VI-VII: Fm-Db-Eb
i-iv-VII: Fm-Bbm-Eb
i-iv-v: Fm-Bbm-Cm
i-VI-III-VII: Fm-Db-Ab-Eb
 
Key of G Minor: (The notes of the G minor scale are G A Bb C D Eb F.)
i-VI-VII: Gm-Eb-F
i-iv-VII: Gm-Cm-F
i-iv-v: Gm-Cm-Dm
i-VI-III-VII: Gm-Eb-Bb-F
Try to come up with chords in other keys based on the chord progressions I
just listed.
Conclusion
 
It's important to know your scales and the chords in each key. The more you
practice them, the better. This will make it so much easier to play songs. It
can also help you with songwriting/composing music.
I want you to note however, that very often a song may be in a certain key
but include chords from another key. For instance, you may be in the key of
C major and may play D major or E major. There is no rule in music which
says that you have to stick to the chords or notes of a particular key when
playing or composing. If this were the case, music would prove to be very
boring.
But it's important to first of all have a clear understand of the chords in each
key. With such a solid foundation, there is no limit to how much you can do
with chords and chord progressions. So keep studying, keep learning and
keep practicing.
I'd like to thank you once again for downloading this book. I trust that you
found it very valuable. It was indeed a pleasure coming up with the lessons.
For free piano and keyboard lessons, you can check out my YouTube
channel at www.youtube.com/pianokeyboardlessons. Please subscribe.
For more free piano lessons, visit my website, www.piano-keyboard-
guide.com. If you have any questions, be sure to send me a message. You
may also subscribe to my email newsletter to receive exclusive information.
Finally, if you saw the value in this book, I’d like to ask you a favor. Would
you be kind enough to leave a review for this book on Amazon? It would be
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My Other Music Books
 
I have written other piano and music-related books. They are listed below.
Check them out.
Piano Chords: How To Play Basic Chords On Piano And Keyboard
Piano Crash Course: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide To Learning How To
Play Piano In No Time
Piano Scales Made Simple: The Easy Guide To Playing Piano Scales
Piano Lessons For Beginners: Learn How To Play Piano Quickly In Seven
Easy Lessons
How To Read Music Fast: A 4-Step Beginner’s Guide To Reading Music
Quickly And Easily
Music Theory For Beginners: A Beginner’s Guide To Learning The Basics
Of Music Theory
How To Memorize The Guitar Fretboard: The Quick And Easy Guide To
Memorizing The Guitar Fretboard
Songwriting For Beginners: Tips, Techniques and Secrets to Songwriting
Success
Songwriting Success: 101 Tips, Tricks And Techniques For Writing Hit
Songs
My name is Mantius Cazaubon.
Thank you and all the best!