There is a formula to find the diatonic triads of major/minor keys. A superscript circle o is added for the diminished chord. When you’re playing in a minor key, chords with the 7th note of the scale will often be different from those in the natural minor scale. If you’re someone who enjoys improvising and writing their own songs, but your theory is limited here’s a great list of awesome chord progressions you can play with. That’s the truth. Where will you take us next with your next minor mood swing? So you can easily substitute them into your songs. So, what should you focus on if you want fast results? Chords In The Key Of A Minor i – A minor, A minor seventh (Amin, Amin7) iidim – 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 … But what if I told you that you don’t have to be an expert (with years of experience) to make radio-ready music at home? Read all about it right here, and you too can tap into a really cool songwriting technique. But making a song sound “sad” relies heavily on minor chords and their progressions. Songwriting is important, but if your recordings don’t sound professional you’ll have trouble getting heard. When we hear it, it creates tension, or dissonance. This handbook lays out a progressive set of some of the common progressions within Western folk and popular music traditions. The three major chords in the diatonic minor sequence III, VI, and VII get called substitute chords. Let’s take this formula and apply it to the key of A. Great songwriting is important, but you won’t get anywhere if your recordings don’t sound good. Remember that your playing style can also affect the emotion of a chord progression. As you can see, the second chord within this formula is a diminished chord. Your chord progression in A minor would look like this: Am—Bdim—C—Dm—Em—F—G. Length reaches from 2 1/2 minutes to 5 1/2 minutes 4. How to write chord progressions. Use the "key pad" at the top of the diagram to select the … Sometimes this chord is referred to as the 5th degree of the A harmonic minor scale (A B C D E F G#). Please keep in mind though: using A minor with E minor can sound very nice too! It’s actually pretty overwhelming. It’s likely that you’ve already wasted time, money and effort on the wrong things. The relative minor scale has the same notes as its relative major, but it starts at the 6th note. Learning This Chord Progression. Now think of great songs like Back to Black, Hurt, and Smells Like Teen Spirit. Some genres are dominated by minor chords, like metal or some forms of EDM. (6.9) Harmonic Minor Progressions. Now let’s look at the VI chord, F major, and it’s relative, the iv chord. Chord progressions need a logical start/finish, and should have a degree of development and movement. Feeling overwhelmed with recording and mixing? 1. View all posts by this author. I can use chords made up of the notes from the A minor scale. We waste years focusing on the wrong things. The following is a list of commonly used chord progressions in music. Each chord is distanced from the one below it … Common Piano Chord Progressions in the Key of B minor: i – VI – VII (Bm – G – A) i – iv – VII (Bm – Em – A) i – iv – v (Bm – Em – F#m) i – VI – III – VII (Bm – G – D – A) ii – v – i (C#m7b5 – F#m – Bm) Key of C Minor: i – VI – VII (Cm – Ab – Bb) i – iv – VII (Cm – Fm – Bb) There is SO MUCH that goes into a good song and a professional mix. But it isn’t nearly as popular in minor keys as it is in the major keys. For example, let’s look at the key of A minor. The minor tonic chord The submediant (vi) in the chord scale acts both as a function within major key progressions and as the relative tonic of minor key progressions. REM had a smash hit with Losing My Religion using basically the same progression. Once you know those, you have a good foundation to … Too much time on III (G major) will makes us think we’re in the key of G major. In that key, the ii° is B diminished. It has a very distinctive sound and doesn’t turn up in popular music often. So, if you want to learn the *exact* steps that will take your mixes to a professional standard in under a year…. This is used a great deal in jazz chord progressions, like ii7♭5–V–i. This variation of the “down and back” ends with the V7 in what is called an Andalusian cadence. With this new approach, you’ll know exactly where to spend your time and energy. Watch this free masterclass and get a complete framework — or “blueprint” — for professional mixes. So, if you just want a shortcut to pro-quality mixes, watch this free masterclass now: Songwriting is important, but if your recordings don’t sound professional you’ll have trouble getting heard. A chord built upon the note E is an E chord of some type (major, minor, diminished, etc.) But they ended the chorus on G major, which is the major VII chord of the A minor scale: Am-Em-Dm-G (i–v–iv–VII). A chord may be built upon any note of a musical scale.Therefore, a seven-note diatonic scale allows seven basic diatonic triads, each degree of the scale becoming the root of its own chord. 7 Steps to Pro Mixes at Home That’s why Musician on a Mission has created this new free masterclass for people who want the entire framework for making radio-ready music at home. A list of 2, 3, 4, and 5 chord progressions. Here’s a trick to tell which chords to play next, no matter what key you’re in: The “1st,” AKA the root note of the chord, which can be any note in the major scale. Think of artists like Johnny Cash and Amy Winehouse. But making a song sound “sad” relies heavily on minor chords and their progressions. Adele makes great use of it in her hit, Hello. Learn how to use your time more efficiently in this free training video. You’ll no longer feel confused and overwhelmed by the recording and mixing process. Drake and Eminem. That’s in case that you want to smoothly figure out some new and nice chord positions by yourself. If you're playing guitar, the keys with the easiest chords are G major, E minor, C major and A minor. Bill Withers wrote Ain’t No Sunshine using Am-Em-Dm (i–v–iv–i). Major chords tend to sound bright and happy to us. The vi chord therefore becomes i (lower case numeral for minor chords), but the interval relationship between each chord in the scale remains intact from that point. We will now apply the tritone substitution concept to the turnaround in bars 4-5 and 7-9: In bar four … Every minor scale has 3 major chords, 3 minor chords, and 1 diminished. It’s important to know how to find chords within a minor scale so that you have a number of options when it comes time to create your own song or if you simply want to know how your favorite hits have come together. Well… Your listeners might get confused about whether the song is major or minor. These minor chord progression is not only popular for major progressions, but can also be used for minor work as well. What’s one thing many of the greatest artists of our time have in common? It substitutes the natural minor scale’s minor v chord for the major V7 chord in Dm–Am7–E7–Dm. A greater variety of progressions is possible with the C Harmonic Minor scale, because the related chords interact more powerfully with each other to … 2 Chord progressions. This website is dedicated specifically for musicians, who are willing to find some catchy and interesting chord progressions. Here’s the thing… The melodic minor scale also means minor key songs can comfortably accommodate the major IV chord in their progressions. The nice part about this chord progression is it’s actually 12 chords long, but it’s really 3 groups of 4 chords. Pick a progression type that matches what you want to play. What’s one thing many of the greatest artists of our time have in common? Now check out C major’s relative minor scale, A minor. The Jazzy A minor. Let’s say, for example, you’re writing in E minor (i). Inside are the only 7 steps you need to go through if you want your mixes to sound professional. She also composes music for TV, theatre and short film, and provides a songwriting coaching service, Songdoctor. Instructions. Just to be clear. Minor chord progressions are very similar to major chord progressions but of course, we’re looking at the minor scale! Charlotte Yates is an independent New Zealand singer-songwriter with a growing catalogue of seven solo releases and thirteen collaborative projects. Bob Marley’s I Shot the Sheriff riffs on a simpler i–iv progression in the chorus (Gm-Cm). Max Romeo – Chase the Devil Chords: Am / Em / Dm / Am (i – v – iv – i) Kelis – Trick Me Twice F# min / Em / Bm) ii – ii – iv These progressions are entirely in a Minor Key and uses solely Minor Chords. In most minor chord progressions ii and V will usually be paired together. Mixolydian: Name Image Sound # of chords Quality 50s progression: I-vi-IV-V. 4: Major Furthermore, you can try this progression using any other key. That elicits the sad or somber emotional response in us. © copyright 1998-2021 guitar tricks inc. all rights reserved. The Roman numerals in a chord progression formula signify the triad form of the chord. The possibilities are endless. So, what should you focus on if you want fast results? Minor Two Five One: ii – V – i. You’ll find the two five one progression in almost every jazz song. These three scales mean there are a lot of chord variations you can use in a minor key. It’s almost always followed by a major V. Check out the timeless House of the Rising Sun for an example of this chord progression – i–III–IV–V, i–III–IV, i–III–IV–V, i–V–i. They make sure there’s a raised 7th (the leading tone) and sometimes even a raised 6th. Chord progressions like the 12-bar blues can be found all over popular music. Feel free to play around with them and have fun! The “down and back” progression is hugely popular. Let’s go back to our example key of A minor. By using roman numerals, you can easily figure out which chords are major, minor, and diminished in any scale. The voicing is super mellow and lovely to play. Drake and Eminem. You’ll also find it in jazz-influenced r&b, so don’t shy away! i–v–iv–iSidebar Alert – The Three Minor Scales 2. i–iv–V7–i3. In minor keys, the second chord is diminished. Try and recreate it on your DAW or keyboard (Captain is really handy for doing this), then try replacing some of the chords with Major chords – you’ll immediately notice a difference in the emotional quality. Many chords, guys. Perfect for overcoming beat block or setting the mood – this free chords pack comes with 17 smooth and inspiring chord progressions that can take your tracks to the next level. TIP: When you use it, don’t linger too long on the III. The minor chords that form good-sounding progressions echo those of the major chords, as shown in the following list: i chords can appear anywhere in a progression ii° or ii chords lead to i, iii, V, v, vii°, or VII chords III or III+ chords lead to i, iv, IV, VI, #vi°, vii°, or VI chords Say I’m writing a song in the key of A minor. Inside are the only 7 steps you need to go through if you want your mixes to sound professional. It’s important to know how to find chords within a minor scale so that you have a number of options when it comes time to create your own song or if you simply want to know how your favorite hits have come together. Here are the chords within the A minor scale: Now let’s look at why our chord progression works. Most of us do. Here’s what we found for the top 5 most common chord progressions in Pop music. A flat note uses the little ♭ symbol. Indeterminate PD: Phrygian dominant: Mix. Starting with the I chord, the progression could move to the iii chord, then the vi chord, and finally the ii chord. They are unafraid to write songs that dive deep into heartache, despair, frustration, anger, and sorrow. Really r… The VII and VI chords are the relative majors of the v and iv minor chords. The minor v chord doesn’t use a leading scale tone like its counterpart from the major scale, the major V chord. If you know your minor chords and your key signatures, then you already have the tools to create your own moody minor progressions. Remember the A minor scale is made up of these notes: Since we know that these are the notes of the A minor scale, we can take these notes and plug them into the chord tones. So, if you want to learn the *exact* steps that will take your mixes to a professional standard in under a year… You can take chords from the scale of a key and create a chord progression with them. Here are some more basic chord progression examples that use open position chords to get you started. Give these minor chord progressions a try and see what you can come up with. Listen to the progression A minor – E7 – A minor and it is immediately clear why we use E7 instead of E minor. But if you just want to learn about Minor Chord Progressions specifically, keep reading. Inside this new free masterclass, you’ll learn the secret to making radio-ready music at home. Now that we know how to find chords in a minor key, let’s take a look at some really common minor chord progressions. There are certain elementsthat can be found in pop songs to make them relatable and popular. So this progression will be in the key of A minor like this Am – B⁰ – E – Am . They are a natural part of the flow of major and minor key music. So now that we’ve gone over the three minor scales, let’s check out some minor chord progressions with the wonderful-sounding major V chord. Adele and Green Day. Because of that, it almost never sounds as stable. Chords are made of three or more notes from the same scale. It’s the relative major of the minor key you’re in. Major chords are said to have major thirds in them, but minor chords use minor thirds. Minor piano chord progressions work in essentially the same way, except they use the minor chords from positions ii, iii, and vi of a scale. Alternatively, if you are planning a more somber vibe, for your Pop song, then a minor key would be the first choice. You could end up with music that sounds amateur if you’re missing a crucial step. With this approach, we are focusing on a jazzy chord progression. As a triad, it uses the notes B, D, and F. As a half diminished, it uses B-D-F and adds on the note A as a minor 7. Chord Progression Handbook v Playing Chord Progressions: Your ability to both hear and play chord progressions promotes your capacity to re-create, compose, accompany, improvise, arrange, and teach music. Some genres are dominated by … Pop songs aim to get the widest audience in order to sell a lot of copies. Using minor chords effectively is crucial to expressing difficult emotions. Other examples include Eminem’s Love the Way You Lie and Green Days’ 21 Guns. Uppercase for major chords and lowercase for minor chords. (6) For more articles, ideas and inspiration visit thesongfoundry.com. A minor chord, on the other hand, uses the same 1st and 5th notes as the major chord, but the 3rd is lowered or flattened by a half step or semitone. Chord Progressions In a Natural minor. Charlotte Yates is an independent New Zealand singer-songwriter with a growing catalogue of seven solo releases and thirteen collaborative projects. And here’s where minor harmony is a little more complex than major. But what if I told you that you don’t have to be an expert (with years of experience) to make radio-ready music at home? Each of the 12 major keys has a relative minor. Code Major: Major: Minor: Minor: Atonal: Atonal: Bitonal: Bitonal: Ind. Meanwhile, minor chords are dark and melancholy. There are as follows…, 2) The harmonic minor scale, with a raised 7th, 3) And the melodic minor scale, with a raised 6th and a raised 7th. Want to Make Incredible Songs? Your email address will not be published. It’s called the half diminished chord, and adds a 7th onto the end of the ii°. Think learning to play guitar is too hard? Next, pick a key that you feel comfortable playing in. It’s likely that you’ve already wasted time, money and effort on the wrong things. These chords are perfect for both Hip Hop and Pop tracks. They can also use the I chord and the V or vii chord to get from one chord to another. The formula for finding chords in a minor key looks like this: The lowercase numerals indicates a minor chord, while the capitalized numerals are major chords. Yikes!! And if you want to experiment more with different progressions, the circle of fifths will help you find solid combinations. Then the verse uses the major VI chord to create a new variation on our chord progression,  E♭-Dm-Gm (VI–v–i). Keep in mind that a major chord progression can only correctly transpose to any of the 12 major keys, a minor progression can only correctly transpose to any of the 12 minor keys, and modal progressions can only transpose to any of the 12 keys within that specific mode. Most of us do. Now, How to Make Vocals Sit in the Mix (Best Tips), Chord Progressions: The Building Blocks of Hit Songs, How to Make Electronic Music: The Complete Guide, How to Write Songs Faster: 7 Tips for Better Writing, 7 Steps That’ll Help You Find Musical Inspiration, Song Structure: The Key to Writing Hit Songs, How to Use The Pentatonic Scale (A Complete Guide), Am I a Solo Artist or a Band Member? Here’s the music theory in action with TLC’s No Scrubs. She also composes music for TV, theatre and short film, and provides a songwriting coaching service, Songdoctor. The Land of ii°CONCLUSION: Minor Chord Progressions7 Steps to Pro Mixes at Home I-V-II-VI-III: This progression uses the circle of fifths. The VII chord G major shares two of its three notes with it’s relative, the v chord. Here’s a Minor Chord Progression played in Captain Chords Chord progression: Am – G/B – C – Dm – Am – C – G – Am – G/B – C – C/E – F – G – Am. Instead of writing out chords, use Roman numerals. They are unafraid to write songs that dive deep into heartache, despair, frustration, anger, and sorrow. Let me quickly show you 3 simple examples of chord progressions for a track written in A minor: Am – Em – C – G – Dm – Am – F – Em – Am Am – C – G – Dm – Am – F – Am – G – Am Let’s use A minor this time. Minor chord progressions can open up a whole musical landscape for you to write great songs. But by extending (adding more notes to) the basic minor chord, our options as to where they can be played, and sound good within a progression, open up significantly. To vary the progression, substitute a chord called the half diminished seventh or minor seventh flat-fifth (B, D, F and A in C major) here. The sequence of chords in minor keys has the same types of chords as majors but in a different order. 2. Song structure consists of verses and multiple (repeating) choruses. These artists use minor chords to express and explore difficult feelings.