Chords in every key
The seven chords that belong to each major key, with its relative minor. One table, twelve keys: jump straight to yours.
Major keys
Each row is one key. Read the chords left to right as the numbers 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5, 6m and 7°. The spelling follows the key: F major has Bb, not A#, and G major has F#, not Gb.
| Key | 1 | 2m | 3m | 4 | 5 | 6m | 7° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | B° |
| Db (C#) | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab | Bbm | C° |
| D | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm | C#° |
| Eb (D#) | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb | Cm | D° |
| E | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m | D#° |
| F | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm | E° |
| F# (Gb) | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m | E#° |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F#° |
| Ab (G#) | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb | Fm | G° |
| A | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m | G#° |
| Bb (A#) | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F | Gm | A° |
| B | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | G#m | A#° |
Gb major has the same notes as F# major, spelled with flats: Gb Abm Bbm Cb Db Ebm F°
In F# the last chord is E#°, which sounds like F°. It is spelled E# because the scale uses every letter once.
Relative minor keys
Every major key shares its notes with a minor key, its relative minor, which starts on the sixth note: Am for C, Em for G. It uses the same chords from a different starting point. This table gives each natural minor key with its chords.
| Minor key | Relative major | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Am | C | Am | B° | C | Dm | Em | F | G |
| Bbm | Db | Bbm | C° | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab |
| Bm | D | Bm | C#° | D | Em | F#m | G | A |
| Cm | Eb | Cm | D° | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb |
| C#m | E | C#m | D#° | E | F#m | G#m | A | B |
| Dm | F | Dm | E° | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C |
| D#m | F# | D#m | E#° | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# |
| Em | G | Em | F#° | G | Am | Bm | C | D |
| Fm | Ab | Fm | G° | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb |
| F#m | A | F#m | G#° | A | Bm | C#m | D | E |
| Gm | Bb | Gm | A° | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F |
| G#m | B | G#m | A#° | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# |
In practice minor songs often play the v as a major chord too: E instead of Em in A minor.
What it is good for
- Guessing the next chord. A song in a key uses mostly these seven chords. In G, the next chord is probably one of G, Am, Bm, C, D or Em.
- Transposing by hand. Find the chord's number in one row and read the same number in another row. C is the 4 in G, and the 4 in D is G.
- Knowing the loop. The 1, 5, 6m and 4 make a loop a great many pop and worship songs run on. In D it is D A Bm G.
The Nashville number system turns this table into a way of writing charts that works in every row.
In GraceNote
Open a song, tap the key to transpose and every chord moves. GraceNote spells the new key properly: transposing into F gives Bb, not A#.
Questions
What is a relative minor?
The minor key that uses the same notes as a major key. It starts on the sixth note of the major scale: A minor for C major, E minor for G major.
Why is there no Gb row?
F# major and Gb major sound the same. The table lists F# and shows the Gb chords under it.
Which key has no sharps or flats?
C major, and its relative minor, A minor.
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Keep learning
Circle of fifths
An interactive circle: tap a key for its chords, relative minor and neighbour keys.
Nashville number system
What the numbers mean, how to write them and how a band uses them.
Capo chart
Which capo fret and which shapes sound in the key you need.