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Chords in the Key of A Minor

Every diatonic triad and seventh chord in A minor, with the progressions built from them. Free. No sign-up.

Key facts

Key signature
no sharps or flats
Scale notes
A · B · C · D · E · F · G
Relative major
C Major
Parallel major
A Major

Diatonic triads

The seven diatonic triads in A Minor
DegreeChordQualityNotes
iAmminorA · C · E
ii°BdimdiminishedB · D · F
IIICmajorC · E · G
ivDmminorD · F · A
vEmminorE · G · B
VIFmajorF · A · C
VIIGmajorG · B · D

Seventh chords

Stack one more scale tone on each triad and you get the seventh chords — same key, more color.

The seven diatonic seventh chords in A Minor
DegreeChordQualityNotes
i7Am7minor 7thA · C · E · G
iiø7Bm7b5half-diminishedB · D · F · A
IIImaj7Cmaj7major 7thC · E · G · B
iv7Dm7minor 7thD · F · A · C
v7Em7minor 7thE · G · B · D
VImaj7Fmaj7major 7thF · A · C · E
VII7G7dominant 7thG · B · D · F

Common progressions in A minor

  • i–VI–III–VII

    Am – F – C – G

    The minor pop loop — same four chords as the major axis, started from the minor side.

  • i–iv–v

    Am – Dm – Em

    The minor blues shape — all three chords stay minor in the natural scale.

  • i–VII–VI

    Am – G – F

    The descending rock lament, one whole step at a time.

  • i–iv–VII–III

    Am – Dm – G – C

    A circle-of-fifths descent — each root falls a fifth to the next.

How the key of A minor works

A Minor carries no sharps or flats — all seven notes are naturals. The scale runs A–B–C–D–E–F–G, and stacking every other note of that scale builds the seven chords above without borrowing a single note from outside the key.

C Major is the relative major: identical key signature, identical seven chords. Treat C — the III chord here — as home base and you are in C major without changing a note.

The parallel major, A Major, keeps the same root but raises the third, sixth, and seventh — its signature shifts to three sharps (F#, C# and G#). Moving a section from minor to parallel major is one of the oldest brightness tricks in songwriting.

Keep practicing

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