Chords in a key

Start by choosing the tonic from the 12 available options. Then select major, natural minor, harmonic minor, or melodic minor. The tool recalculates the seven chords in the key and displays the corresponding degree. In a major key, the first chord is I. In a minor key, the center is usually indicated by Im.

Choose triads when you want to see the basic structure of the chords. They contain three notes and work well for many pop, country, folk, and worship music accompaniments. Switch to seventh chords when you want to hear the seventh and study more complete sounds, common in gospel, jazz, and soul. In G major, you will see G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#°.

Click a card to hear that chord. The play button plays the entire set of chords in sequence. Pay attention to V and vii° before returning to I. This comparison reveals the difference between tension and resolution without relying only on memorization.

If you are studying guitar, use the diagram shown on the card whenever a verified position is available. To compare voicings, also consult the chord generator. Write down a sequence of four degrees, such as I–V–vi–IV, and play the same relationship in two different keys. This helps you separate harmonic function from hand shape.

Diatonic chords are the set of chords formed from the notes of a scale. To create each chord, you stack alternating notes from that scale: the note of the degree, the third, the fifth, and, when needed, the seventh. Since the diatonic scale has seven notes, the basic result contains seven chords, one for each degree.

In the C major scale, the notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. By stacking thirds, the first chord contains C, E, and G; the second contains D, F, and A; and so on. The complete set is C – Dm – Em – F – G – Am – B°. The letter indicates the chord symbol, while the Roman numeral shows its position within the key.

Try this exercise now: play C, then Dm, Em, and G, and finish on C. Next, play the same progression starting from a different tonic. You will notice that the chord shapes change, but the function of the degrees remains the same. This system explains why certain chords fit a key and allows you to transpose a progression without losing its structure.

An I–V–vi–IV progression can be used in several keys while preserving the same degree pattern. To reinforce the fundamentals, see music theory for beginners and use the virtual piano to visualize the notes that make up each chord.

The formula for the triads in a major key is: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, and diminished. In Roman numerals, this appears as I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii°. This order remains the same when you change the tonic. What changes are the notes and chord symbols.

In D major, the scale has F# and C#. That is why the chords in the key are D – Em – F#m – G – A – Bm – C#°. In F major, B becomes Bb, and the result is F – Gm – Am – Bb – C – Dm – E°. Correct notation prevents functions from being confused and makes the scale easier to read.

The diminished chord appears on the seventh degree because its third and fifth form an unstable combination. It usually leads back to I, functioning as a preparation for the tonic. Play C#° – D in D major and listen to how the leading tone, C#, pulls toward D.

You can practice the formula in different keys and then consult the musical scales to relate each chord to the notes that form it. A short exercise: choose C, D, and F, write out the seven degrees of each key, and circle the major chords.

A seventh chord adds a seventh to a triad. In a major key, the standard sequence is Imaj7, ii7, iii7, IVmaj7, V7, vi7, and viiø7. The major seventh creates a stable, open color. The minor seventh appears in minor chords. The dominant V7 builds tension that resolves to I.

In C major, the seventh-chord version is Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7b5. In E major, it is Emaj7 – F#m7 – G#m7 – Amaj7 – B7 – C#m7 – D#m7b5. The m7b5 combines a minor third, a diminished fifth, and a minor seventh. It frequently appears on the second degree of minor keys and in passages that lead into a new chord.

Seventh chords are useful for arrangements with keyboards, steel-string acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass. Play the triad first. Then add the seventh and compare the effect using the same rhythm. On guitar, some voicings require a barre chord or leaving out certain notes. When you want to test combinations without working everything out by ear, use the chord generator.

To play these seventh chords along with a recording you already have on your device, open the file in the Cantivy Studio: it slows the song down without changing its pitch and shifts the key one semitone at a time, so you can practice the chords in the key that suits your voice.

Harmonic functions explain how chords behave. The tonic conveys rest and a sense of arrival. The subdominant moves away from the tonal center and prepares for motion. The dominant concentrates tension and usually calls for resolution to the tonic. This way of hearing harmony is more useful than simply memorizing chord names.

In a major key, the tool classifies I, iii, and vi as tonic; ii and IV as subdominant; and V and vii° as dominant. In G major, V7 is D7, while Imaj7 is Gmaj7. The iii chord can sound like relative rest, but it can also take part in a passage of motion. For that reason, it takes on an ambiguous function in certain contexts.

Try this in G: play G – C – D7 – G. The first and last chords create the sense of arrival. C creates distance. D7 heightens anticipation before the return. This logic appears in accompaniment patterns for pop, worship music, country, and other popular styles, even when the arrangement uses inversions or a moving bass line.

In a minor key, the tonic includes i and bIII; the subdominant includes ii° or ii, iv or IV, and bVI; the dominant includes V or v and VII. The bVI can also take on an ambiguous function, depending on the voice leading and the following chord. In A harmonic minor, V7 is E7, and its major third reinforces the pull toward Am. For practical ideas, see the chord progressions and study the II–V–I progression.

Natural minor key chords use the natural minor scale, which has the same notes as its relative major: A minor and C major share all seven notes. In A minor, the triads are Am – B° – C – Dm – Em – F – G. The seventh chords are Am7 – Bm7b5 – Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7. This form has a minor dominant, which makes the resolution less intense.

Harmonic minor raises the seventh scale degree. In A minor, G becomes G#, creating the leading tone that resolves to the tonic. The chords become Am – B° – C+ – Dm – E – F – G#°, and the seventh chords are Am(maj7) – Bm7b5 – Cmaj7(#5) – Dm7 – E7 – Fmaj7 – G#°7. This form appears in phrases with greater tension and more clearly defined dominants.

Melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh scale degrees on the way up. In E minor, the result is Em – F#m – G+ – A – B – C#° – D#°, with the seventh chords Em(maj7) – F#m7 – Gmaj7(#5) – A7 – B7 – C#m7b5 – D#m7b5. The tool separates the three forms so you can compare their sounds.

To hear the difference, choose natural A minor and play the V chord. Then switch to harmonic A minor and repeat. The interval between the minor dominant and the major dominant becomes clear. To study the notes on the fretboard, see guitar scales and write down the altered notes before playing.

Start by listing the chords that appear in the section you are analyzing. Record a verse, a chorus, or a passage of 8 to 16 measures. Then compare this group with the possible major and minor keys. If several chords belong to the same collection and one of them seems to function as a point of rest, you have a strong hypothesis for the key.

Do not confuse the song’s first chord with the tonic. An introduction may begin on another scale degree. Also pay attention to dominant chords. A V7 resolving to I is a clear clue, but popular songs may use modal mixture, secondary dominants, and chords outside the key. A progression in C major may include A7 to lead to Dm, even though A7 does not belong to the natural major key of C. Compare the main set with Cmaj7 – Dm7 – Em7 – Fmaj7 – G7 – Am7 – Bm7b5.

Use your ear for confirmation. Play the sequence in the widget, sing the tonic, and see which note seems to bring the phrase to a close. If the hypothesis is G major, compare the passage with G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#°. If the point of rest seems to be E minor, test Em – F#° – G – Am – Bm – C – D and compare the final note.

In sertanejo, gospel, forró, pagode, MPB, and bossa nova repertoire, key changes and passing chords are common. The tool helps organize your hypothesis, but the analysis depends on the passage you choose. To create a backing track after the analysis, visit the chord progressions.

On guitar, the chords in a key become easier to understand when you connect each chord chart to a position on the neck. The cards display shapes for chords whose positions have been verified in Cantivy's database: major and minor chords, chords with 7, m7, and maj7, as well as diminished and augmented triads. This way, you can build a progression and play each degree without leaving the page.

Not every chord will have a shape. For m7b5, °7, m(maj7), and maj7(#5), the tool shows the notes and plays the chord, but does not draw a fingering. This is because the visual database includes verified positions only for certain types. When a diagram is unavailable, you can study the note structure on the virtual piano or look for a fingering that makes sense for your arrangement.

A capo lets you transpose open shapes to another key. If you play G shapes with the capo at the second fret, the sound rises a whole step to A. Always check the actual chord chart produced, the tuning, and the vocal range. The capo changes the pitch, but it does not automatically change the function you are hearing.

To explore scales and locate tonics across all six strings, use guitar scales. In an E minor practice session, compare Em – F#° – G – Am – Bm – C – D with the position your hand can sustain. Play each chord for four beats, reduce it to two beats, and then alternate only between i, iv, and V.

• Choose the tonic and mode to see the seven chords in the key.
• Use triads to study the basic structure and seventh chords to hear the sevenths.
• Memorize the major formula: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii°.
• Compare natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor before choosing a dominant.
• Use the tonic, subdominant, and dominant functions to create and analyze progressions.
• On guitar, use the verified shapes and refer to the displayed notes when no position is available.

Save this page to look up the chords in a key while studying or producing. A 5-minute exercise can accomplish a lot: choose a key, play through all the diatonic chords, select three degrees, and create a short progression. Then change the mode and listen to how the same tonic can take on a different character.

To continue, combine the diatonic chords with scales, inversions, and rhythm. A simple progression can work in different genres when you change the tempo, strumming pattern, and instrumentation. Try a pop strumming pattern on one sequence, then experiment with the same relationship using a bass line typical of rock or with the open chords often used in worship music.

At Cantivy, you will find tools for testing these ideas and turning a quick analysis into material for a songwriting session. Write down the key, degrees, chosen tempo, and chord positions. These four notes make it easier to pick up your study again the next day.