The course › Unit 11: Accompanying a song

The chords of the easy keys

Lesson 62 of 72 · C, G, D, F and A minor: six chords per family

In this lesson, you will:

• Know the chord family of a key: I, ii, iii, IV, V and vi
• Build any major or minor chord by counting half steps (4 + 3, 3 + 4)
• Play the chords with black keys: D, E, A, B♭, Bm, F♯m, C♯m…

1. Learn: One family per key

A song in C major mostly uses the chords built on the notes of its scale: you lined them up in lesson 45, I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi. Good news: the pattern is the same in every major key. Chords I, IV and V are major, chords ii, iii and vi are minor, and V often becomes V7.

• C major: C – Dm – Em – F – G – Am (V7: G7)
• G major (one sharp, F♯): G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em (V7: D7)
• D major (two sharps, F♯ and C♯): D – Em – F♯m – G – A – Bm (V7: A7)
• F major (one flat, B♭): F – Gm – Am – B♭ – C – Dm (V7: C7)
• A minor (the relative minor of C): Am – Dm – E or E7 (with the G♯ of the harmonic minor scale) – F – G – C

The G major family: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi. With the F♯ of the key signature, the chord on D is major and the chord on B is minor.

Why this way: Learning chords in families rather than one by one is how pop and jazz pianists work: a song in G most often uses the chords of the G family. As soon as you know the key, you know which chords to expect, and your hands get ready for them.

Did you know?: G, D, A and E are guitarists’ favorite keys: their chords use lots of open strings. That’s why black keys show up so fast when you accompany a pop song!

2. Quiz: Who’s in the family?

• Which of these chords belongs to the G major family?
• In G major, the IV chord is…
• In G, the chord built on B is…
• In D major, what is the V7?
• In F major, the IV chord is…
• Which chord is not in the C major family?

3. Learn: Counting half steps: 4 + 3 or 3 + 4

What if a chord isn’t in any family you know? Don’t panic: you can build any major or minor chord by counting half steps, black keys included.

• Major = 4 + 3: from the root, go up 4 half steps (the major third), then 3 more (up to the fifth).
• Minor = 3 + 4: 3 half steps, then 4.
• Between the root and the fifth there are always 7 half steps, in major and in minor alike.

D major: D → F♯ (4 half steps) → A (3 half steps).

The shape trick: many chords have exactly the same shape on the keys. Sort them into shape families:

• C, F, G and Dm, Em, Am: three white keys.
• D, E, A: white – black – white, finger 3 on the black key. Cm, Fm, Gm too.
• D♭, E♭, A♭ and C♯m, F♯m, G♯m: black – white – black.
• The odd ones out: B♭ (black – white – white), Bm (white – white – black) and B (white – black – black).

Tip: On a chord with black keys, move your hand in toward the back of the keys: your fingers land on the black keys without twisting, and your thumb stays on its white key.

4. Practice: Chords with black keys

Count 4 + 3 (major) or 3 + 4 (minor) from the root, or think of the shape. Any octave, any order. These chords will come back in today’s practice.

5. Guided play: The six chords of G

The G major family in root position, fingers 1-3-5: G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em, then D – G to wrap up (V – I). The same hand shape moves up one white key for each chord; only the F♯ (in the key signature) lands on a black key.

6. Challenge: Family race

As many chords as you can in 60 seconds: chords from the C, G, D, F and A minor families, any octave, any order of notes.

7. Piece: Chords in quarter notes

A real song in G: the chord chart of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, by Bob Dylan. Watch for the F♯ in the D chord. G (I), D (V), Am (ii), then G, D and C (IV): nothing but chords from the G family. Four quarter notes per measure; the computer plays the bass.

To practice

• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door: Bob Dylan: G – D – A minor, G – D – C
• Zombie: The Cranberries: E minor – C – G – D
• Stand by Me: Ben E. King: A – F♯ minor – D – E

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