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See the relationship of chords in all keys
The following tables will help you find chords in all keys.
Chart with chords sorted by key
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C# | C# | D#m | E#m | F# | G# | A#m |
| F# | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m |
| B | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | G#m |
| E | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m |
| A | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m |
| D | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em |
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am |
| F | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm |
| Bb | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F | Gm |
| Eb | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb | Cm |
| Ab | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb | Fm |
| Db | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab | Bbm |
| Gb | Gb | Abm | Bbm | Cb | Db | Ebm |
| Cb | Cb | Dbm | Ebm | Fb | Gb | Abm |
Using the table
The table gives you chord suggestions which play together in the selected key. Play the chords in any row you will hear that they all sound good together – this is because they are in the same key.
For an example, look at the C row – I always start in C as there are no sharps or flats. This row features C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major and A minor. Try playing any combination and you’ll find they sound good together – this process can help you write or work out songs.
Chords in the key of…
To help you out in the most common keys for guitar here are some shortcuts that can come handy:
Chords in the key of G: G, Am, Bm, C, D and Em
Chords in the key of C: C, Dm, Em, F, G and Am
Chords in the key of D: D, Em, F#m, G, A and Bm
Chords in the key of A: A, Bm, C#m, D, E and F#m
It is also possible to play in minor keys and here are some common minor keys and chords:
Chords in the key of A minor: Am, C, Dm, Em, F and G (you can substitute Dm for D and Em for E)
Chords in the key of E minor: Em, G, Am, Bm, C and D (you can substitute Am for A and Bm for B)
For the other keys, use the table below. For more instructions, see the article about chords that sound good together.
Expanded chart
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C# | C# | D#m | E#m | F# | G# | A#m | D# | E# |
| F# | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m | G# | A# |
| B | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | G#m | C# | D# |
| E | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m | F# | G# |
| A | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m | B | C# |
| D | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm | E | F# |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | A | B |
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | D | E |
| F | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm | G | A |
| Bb | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F | Gm | C | D |
| Eb | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb | Cm | F | G |
| Ab | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb | Fm | Bb | C |
| Db | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab | Bbm | Eb | F |
| Gb | Gb | Abm | Bbm | Cb | Db | Ebm | Ab | Bb |
| Cb | Cb | Dbm | Ebm | Fb | Gb | Abm | Db | Eb |
Expanding the chord possibilities
This second table gives you some possibilities beyond what is presented in the first table. One example of chord progression using the expanding chords in the key of G is G – A – C – D.
You could even add a third chord beyond the standard key chords: iiimajb. In the key of G this would be Bb. One example of chord progression is G – Bb – C – D.
Chart with four-note chords sorted by key
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C# | C#maj7 | D#m7 | E#m7 | F#maj7 | G#7 | A#m7 |
| F# | F#maj7 | G#m7 | A#m7 | Bmaj7 | C#7 | D#m7 |
| B | Bmaj7 | C#m7 | D#m7 | Emaj7 | F#7 | G#m7 |
| E | Emaj7 | F#m7 | G#m7 | Amaj7 | B7 | C#m7 |
| A | Amaj7 | Bm7 | C#m7 | Dmaj7 | E7 | F#m7 |
| D | Dmaj7 | Em7 | F#m7 | Gmaj7 | A7 | Bm7 |
| G | Gmaj7 | Am7 | Bm7 | Cmaj7 | D7 | Em7 |
| C | Cmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7 | Fmaj7 | G7 | Am7 |
| F | Fmaj7 | Gm7 | Am7 | Bbmaj7 | C7 | Dm7 |
| Bb | Bbmaj7 | Cm7 | Dm7 | Ebmaj7 | F7 | Gm7 |
| Eb | Ebmaj7 | Fm7 | Gm7 | Abmaj7 | Bb7 | Cm7 |
| Ab | Abmaj7 | Bbm7 | Cm7 | Dbmaj7 | Eb7 | Fm7 |
| Db | Dbmaj7 | Ebm7 | Fm7 | Gbmaj7 | Ab7 | Bbm7 |
| Gb | Gbmaj7 | Abm7 | Bbm7 | Cbmaj7 | Db7 | Ebm7 |
| Cb | Cbmaj7 | Dbm7 | Ebm7 | Fbmaj7 | Gb7 | Abm7 |
There are more categories of four-note chords, but these are suggestions of chords that fit well together. For example, it is common to use a seventh dominant as the V chord.
Chord substitutions
Whenever a chord is marked with a 7th, you could always substitute it with a 9th, an 111th or a 13th chord. Following the same concept, a m7 or a maj7 chord could as well be substituted with a m9 or a maj9, respectively, and so on. All extended chords don’t function in this way, however. Minor 6th and minor 13th chords are atonal in the degree that they will not match the same key as the relevant triad minor. So, for example, replacing Em7 with Em6 in the key of G major will lead to some dissonance.
Chart with chords sorted by minor key
| Key | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A#m | A#m | C# | D#m | E#m | F# | G# | |
| D#m | D#m | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | |
| G#m | G#m | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | |
| C#m | C#m | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | |
| F#m | F#m | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | |
| Bm | Bm | D | Em | F#m | G | A | |
| Em | Em | G | Am | Bm | C | D | |
| Am | Am | C | Dm | Em | F | G | |
| Dm | Dm | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | |
| Gm | Gm | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F | |
| Cm | Cm | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb | |
| Fm | Fm | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb | |
| Bbm | Bbm | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab | |
| Ebm | Ebm | Gb | Abm | Bbm | Cb | Db | |
| Abm | Abm | Cb | Dbm | Ebm | Fb | Gb |
The minor version is easy to learn since it’s just a mirror of the major version with a different order. The I chord is now function as III chord and so on. To simplify, the ii° column has been left empty since the diminished chords are seldom used in a triad context.
It would be possible to create a chromatic key overview. For the C major, it would include the following chords: C – C# – D – Eb – E – F – F# – G – Ab – A – Bb – B. This organization would be less useful, though. For one thing, the notes wouldn’t be decided as either major or minor.