Minor chord progressions typically consist of variations on i, iv and v chords – however this doesn’t negate their significance! Context plays an integral part in how these chords should be perceived by listeners.
Understanding intervals will open up endless opportunities when creating minor chord progressions on your own.
Keys
Songwriters seeking new chord progressions frequently turn toward minor key chord progressions as a means of creating more cohesive arrangements. This is often because chords from a minor scale tend to feel more settled and don’t pull as strongly back towards an i chord as in major keys do.
This chart illustrates a chord progression chart for minor keys on the left and their roman numeral names on the right, with relative minor keys for each major key marked on its inner edge and sharps and flats needed for chord performance on its outer rim.
Use this chart to practice simple chord progressions in any minor key. Simply write out your chosen set of chords on a piece of paper, and try playing through multiple times until the sound sounds right for you. Alternatively, experiment with outside-your-key notes for creating progressions with original sounds; Dimebag Darrell used a Cadd9 as his IV chord and an F#7 as his VI chord in his compositions for instance.
Scales
Minor chords don’t feature thirds like major ones do, giving you more room for creative experimentation with them. Megadeth’s progressive rock music uses several inventive minor chord techniques such as lowering root by half step (bII) and using sus intervals to change up tone – thus creating a brighter sound without that dark tonic sound that comes from minor tonic chords.
Use the Circle of Fifths as a guide when exploring minor chord shapes. Adjacent minor keys on this circle are separated by five fifths, making it easy to switch out major chords for their minor equivalents without losing your key.
Minor chord progressions offer another great feature – they often follow the traditional ii-v-i chord pattern in music genres across many subgenres and give songs a lovely minor sound. Furthermore, you can explore variations by changing up the order of your ii-v-i chords.
Chords
Minor key chord progressions tend to be more subdued and mournful than their major key counterparts; however, this doesn’t preclude them from also being soothing (think George Gershwin’s “Summertime”), funky/soulful (Pantera’s “Cemetary Gates”) or upbeat/rocking (“Sultans of Swing”).
Minor chord progressions often incorporate variations on i, iv and v chords – using intervals from major scale but in minor key is easy enough for finding these kinds of progressions.
Exercise, select four chords from your preferred minor key and write their progression on paper in four-bar progression. Next, pick another set from that same key and write another progression underneath it – playing these progressions several times will familiarize yourself with minor chord sounds; further experiment by modifying chord qualities such as adding sus2 or sus4 intervals to change their sound.
Progression
Minor key chord progressions offer greater variety and creativity than major key ones due to different minor scales – each having unique characteristics like natural minor’s flattened seventh while harmonic and melodic minor do not. Furthermore, similar chords can often be found both ways around; what really distinguishes their tonality lies in context.
Pantera’s “Cemetary Gates” uses a C minor Dom 7 (D flat, F sharp) – an unusual variant that sounds much more rock than standard D chord – as part of its progression. Minor chord progressions can create any mood or emotion you like – be it sad and foreboding or upbeat and joyful! So try out various minor progressions and see what kind of magic they do for your music!