The chart below presents major chords that occur naturally in each key, known as key-harmonization. This approach offers you a solid basis to explore progressions across all 12 keys.
Chords and scales are inextricably linked. All chord progressions that appear across all 12 keys contain repeating ii-V patterns that repeat, making practice in all 12 keys so vital for improvisers.
C Major
Typically, most songs can be transposed to all 12 keys by shifting every note up one tone. This chart highlights triad chords which naturally appear in each major key by using scale harmonization techniques.
Add a sixth to a triad, and it becomes notated as Cadd6. Learn this chord first – it will help you better comprehend other chords!
D Major
D major contains two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor. Songs written for this key often transpose easily to other keys by shifting each note up half step.
Roman numeral ‘vi’ designates the sixth chord of D Major scale; these all consist of diminished chords. D major music often brings joy, happiness and celebration.
E Major
E major chord is one of the most often utilized diatonic chords used in pop and rock music, constituting one of seven diatonic chords which comprise a major scale.
All major chords consist of three notes played simultaneously – or “triads”. When additional notes are added to this triad, such as adding sixth notes – their names change accordingly, such as Cadd6 for added sixth notes or suspended chords with extra notes.
F Major
F Major chord progressions can add harmonic variety to your music. For instance, using an ii-V-I progression creates a sense of anticipation and movement found in many classical and choral pieces.
Remind yourself that a chord consists of three or more notes and that every scale degree has its own chord formula; knowing this helps transpose songs to new keys by shifting only the necessary notes up or down.
G Major
G Major is a major key with four sharps. It is used in some notable classical music compositions by Hector Berlioz for Harold in Italy, Frederic Chopin for Nocturne Op. 37/2 and Johannes Brahms’ String Sextet No. 2 Op 36 and Violin Sonata No 1 Op 78 among many others.
This chart provides an overview of all major key triad chords. Extension notes such as 11th and 13th can also be added by writing addX where X is the number of additional notes needed.
A Major
Chords are composed of multiple notes from one key or scale combined together into a chord structure. There’s a straightforward method that allows us to build major chords on any note on the piano keyboard.
These chords are combined into triads, which are groups of three notes separated by intervals of a third, that form the basis of most songs you hear today.
Simply reduce the 3rd by half-step in order to turn a major chord into a minor one.
B Major
B Major has one flat, so the order of its flats is: B, E, A and D. For quick reference on which notes correspond with which scale degrees, please read this article.
Piano improvisation often includes adding notes outside of a key, creating chords that don’t conform to standard chord charts – these chords are usually written as addX (for instance Cadd6); they’re sometimes known as suspended chords.
C Minor
Once you know the five notes of a major scale, chords in any key can easily be created using just this pattern – just follow the circle of fifths pattern and count half steps! It really couldn’t be simpler!
To play in a minor key, simply lower the third of your triad by half step; this creates a diminished triad and creates more melancholic and dissonant sounds than its original chord counterpart.
D Minor
D minor is an intriguing chord for artists to experiment with because it offers a unique ability to build suspense despite being one of the darkest keys. Perhaps this is because chord progressions tend to follow an orderly structure from tension to release.
Showcasing female melancholy in D minor requires both skill and an expansive sound palette; both must work harmoniously without overshadowing one another.
E Minor
C Major chord is often one of the first chords that guitarists and pianists learn, and is featured in numerous popular modern and historic songs. Partly due to its wide use, C Major may also be popular due its frequent usage in I-V-vi-IV progressions.
Chords follow an intricate formula for construction; their structure consists of intervals that create pleasing soundscapes when put together.