How to read the chord chart
Each row is a key. Each column is a scale degree, shown as a Roman numeral. Read across a row and you have every chord that naturally belongs to that key. Uppercase numerals are major chords, lowercase are minor, and ° is diminished. The highlighted I, IV and V columns are the home chords: learn those three in a key and you can play a huge number of songs.
The small label under each key is its key signature, the number of sharps (♯) or flats (♭) in the scale.
Chords in every major key
Every major key follows the same pattern of chord qualities, whatever the starting note:
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| major | minor | minor | major | major | minor | dim |
That's why the chart is so useful: learn the pattern once and you can rebuild any row yourself. Pick a key, take its seven scale notes, and stack every other note to make each chord.
Chords in every minor key
This chart uses the natural minor scale, whose chords are i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI and VII. Every minor key shares its chords with a relative major three half steps up: A minor has the same chords as C major, D minor the same as F major. Songs in minor very often swap the minor v for a major V (E instead of Em in A minor), borrowed from harmonic minor, because it pulls harder back to the tonic.
Seventh chords
Switch to 7th chords above to add the extra note. In major keys you get Imaj7, ii7, iii7, IVmaj7, V7, vi7 and viiø7. The V7 is the only dominant 7th in the key and the strongest signal of where home is.
Popular progressions to try
- I–V–vi–IV in C: C – G – Am – F. Check it in the key finder.
- ii–V–I in C: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7. Check it in the key finder.
- i–VI–III–VII in A minor: Am – F – C – G. Check it in the key finder.
- 12-bar blues uses I, IV and V: in E that's E, A and B7. Check it in the key finder.
Train it, don't just look it up
A chart gets you the answer; practice gets you the reflex. These tools build on this chart:
Frequently asked questions
What are the chords in the key of C major?
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B° (B diminished). With seventh chords: Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7 and Bø7.
What are the chords in A minor?
Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G. A minor has the same notes and chords as C major; it just treats A as home.
What are the three main chords in a key?
The I, IV and V chords. In G major those are G, C and D. They cover most folk, blues and rock songs and are the easiest set to learn first.
Why is there a diminished chord in every key?
Stacking thirds on the seventh note of a major scale always gives a diminished triad (vii°). In minor it sits on the second note (ii°). It is used less often than the other chords.
How do I use this chart to transpose a song?
Find the song's key row, note which column each chord sits in, then read across the row for the new key. A I–IV–V–vi in C (C F G Am) becomes G C D Em in G.