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The chords of C major are formed from the seven notes of the scale: D F A (2 4 6), E G B (3 5 7), F A C (4 6 1), G B
D (5 7 2), A C E (6 1 3) and B D F (7 2 4). The sequence of chords is the same for every major key: major, minor,
minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
The chords that combine well in C major are C Dm Em F G and Am. The seventh chord, B diminished, can be
ignored as it is rarely used. We can get an acceptable substitute by flattening the seventh note and turning it into a
major chord. In C major, this would mean flattening B to Bb.
Chords in a Minor Key
Minor keys are slightly more complicated because there are different versions of the minor scale. A natural minor
(also known as the Aeolian mode) is A B C D E F G A. The pattern of intervals is tone, semitone, tone, tone,
semitone, tone, tone (full step, half-step, full step, full step, half-step, full step, full step). In frets this is 2 1 2 2 I 2 2.
The chords formed from the seven notes of this scale generate a sequence true for every natural minor key: minor,
diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major.
Chords of A natural minorScale of A natural minor
Another possibility is the harmonic minor scale, which has a raised seventh. A harmonic minor is: A B C D E F G#
A. The pattern of intervals is: tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone and a half, semitone (full step, half-step, full
step, full step, half-step, step and a half, half-step). In frets: 2 1 2 2 I 3 1. The chords formed from the harmonic
minor scale are: minor, diminished, augmented, minor, major, major, diminished. In songwriting this is almost never
used. In this example, the G# would turn chord V into a major, but the other chords would remain as they were in A
natural minor.
Chords of A harmonic minorScale of A harmonic minorThe Roman Numeral System
There is a handy way of notating and thinking about chord progressions without specifying the key. This is possible
because the internal chord relationships of all major keys are identical. The same is true of all minor keys as long as
they are based on one type of minor scale. The system has been used for hundreds of years in classical music. This is
how it works.