A guitar key chord chart shows the group of chords naturally produced by a major or minor scale. It helps you identify chords that commonly work together, build progressions, transpose songs, understand Roman numerals, and choose suitable scales for rhythm or lead guitar.
In every major key, the seven basic triads follow the same quality pattern:
I major – ii minor – iii minor – IV major – V major – vi minor – vii° diminished
For example, the chords in C major are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and B diminished. Change the key, and the chord names change, but the major-minor pattern remains the same. Diatonic chords are built by stacking scale notes above each of the seven scale degrees.
Quick answer: Choose a key in the chart, then read across its row. The I, IV, and V chords are major; ii, iii, and vi are minor; vii° is diminished. Use the Roman numerals to move the same progression into another key.
Complete Major-Key Guitar Chord Chart
This chart shows the seven diatonic triads in 12 practical major keys.
| Major key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
| D♭ | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cdim |
| D | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | Bm | C♯dim |
| E♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | Ddim |
| E | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | C♯m | D♯dim |
| F | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | Edim |
| F♯ | F♯ | G♯m | A♯m | B | C♯ | D♯m | E♯dim |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F♯dim |
| A♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gdim |
| A | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | F♯m | G♯dim |
| B♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | Adim |
| B | B | C♯m | D♯m | E | F♯ | G♯m | A♯dim |
The chart uses theoretically correct note spellings. In F♯ major, for example, the seventh chord is E♯ diminished rather than F diminished because each scale degree must use a different letter name.
Enharmonic keys may produce the same pitches and guitar positions with different names. D♭ major and C♯ major, for instance, sound alike in standard equal temperament, but their notation and scale spelling differ.
The Major-Key Chord Formula
The major scale follows this interval pattern:
Whole – whole – half – whole – whole – whole – half
A triad is built on each scale degree using only notes from that key. The resulting chord-quality pattern is:
| Scale degree | Roman numeral | Chord quality | General function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | Major | Tonic |
| 2 | ii | Minor | Predominant |
| 3 | iii | Minor | Tonic-related |
| 4 | IV | Major | Predominant |
| 5 | V | Major | Dominant |
| 6 | vi | Minor | Tonic-related; relative minor |
| 7 | vii° | Diminished | Dominant-related tension |
Uppercase Roman numerals indicate major chords. Lowercase numerals indicate minor chords, while the degree symbol identifies a diminished chord.
The first scale degree is the tonic—the tonal home of the key. The fifth degree is the dominant, and the fourth is the subdominant.
Understanding how guitar scales and chords connect makes this formula easier to apply because every diatonic chord is constructed from notes in its parent scale.
How to Use the Guitar Key Chord Chart
1. Identify the key
Find the tonic chord or determine which chord feels like the musical home.
A song ending on G and repeatedly resolving to G may be in G major, especially when the other chords come from the G-major row.
2. Read across the row
The G-major row contains:
G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F♯dim
These are the seven diatonic triads in G major.
3. Choose a progression
Select chords by their scale-degree numbers rather than choosing random names.
For example:
I–V–vi–IV
In G major, that becomes:
G–D–Em–C
4. Choose playable chord shapes
The chart tells you the chord names, not the only possible fingerings. You can use open shapes, barre chords, partial voicings, or inversions depending on the song.
5. Transpose with Roman numerals
To move G–D–Em–C into D major, keep the same numerals:
- I in D = D
- V in D = A
- vi in D = Bm
- IV in D = G
The result is:
D–A–Bm–G
The harmonic relationship remains I–V–vi–IV even though every chord name changes.
Chords in Common Guitar Keys
Certain keys are especially practical on guitar because they use familiar open chords and open strings.
Chords in the Key of C Major
The C-major scale is:
C–D–E–F–G–A–B
Its chords are:
| Degree | Chord |
|---|---|
| I | C |
| ii | Dm |
| iii | Em |
| IV | F |
| V | G |
| vi | Am |
| vii° | Bdim |
C major contains no sharps or flats, so it is a useful first key for learning chord construction.
Common progressions include:
- C–F–G: I–IV–V
- C–G–Am–F: I–V–vi–IV
- Am–F–C–G: vi–IV–I–V
- Dm–G–C: ii–V–I
The guide to the chords in C major explains these relationships with additional guitar applications.
Chords in the Key of G Major
The G-major scale contains one sharp, F♯:
G–A–B–C–D–E–F♯
Its diatonic chords are:
G–Am–Bm–C–D–Em–F♯dim
G is one of the most accessible guitar keys because G, C, D, Am, and Em have common open-position shapes.
Useful progressions include:
- G–C–D: I–IV–V
- G–D–Em–C: I–V–vi–IV
- Em–C–G–D: vi–IV–I–V
- Am–D–G: ii–V–I
See the complete breakdown of the chords in the key of G for additional combinations.
Chords in the Key of D Major
The D-major scale contains F♯ and C♯:
D–E–F♯–G–A–B–C♯
Its chords are:
D–Em–F♯m–G–A–Bm–C♯dim
Common progressions include:
- D–G–A: I–IV–V
- D–A–Bm–G: I–V–vi–IV
- Bm–G–D–A: vi–IV–I–V
- Em–A–D: ii–V–I
D, G, A, and Em are straightforward open chords, while Bm and F♯m commonly require barre or partial shapes. The D-major chord family provides more practical examples.
Chords in the Key of A Major
The A-major scale contains F♯, C♯, and G♯:
A–B–C♯–D–E–F♯–G♯
Its chords are:
A–Bm–C♯m–D–E–F♯m–G♯dim
Useful progressions include:
- A–D–E: I–IV–V
- A–E–F♯m–D: I–V–vi–IV
- F♯m–D–A–E: vi–IV–I–V
- Bm–E–A: ii–V–I
A, D, and E form one of the most useful open-chord groups for rock, country, blues, folk, and acoustic accompaniment. Explore more combinations in the guide to chords in A major.
Chords in the Key of E Major
The E-major scale contains four sharps:
E–F♯–G♯–A–B–C♯–D♯
Its chords are:
E–F♯m–G♯m–A–B–C♯m–D♯dim
Common progressions include:
- E–A–B: I–IV–V
- E–B–C♯m–A: I–V–vi–IV
- C♯m–A–E–B: vi–IV–I–V
- F♯m–B–E: ii–V–I
E and A have resonant open shapes. B, F♯m, G♯m, and C♯m are often played as movable or barre chords. The full E-major chord chart can help you locate practical shapes.
Chords in the Key of F Major
The F-major scale contains one flat, B♭:
F–G–A–B♭–C–D–E
Its chords are:
F–Gm–Am–B♭–C–Dm–Edim
Common progressions include:
- F–B♭–C: I–IV–V
- F–C–Dm–B♭: I–V–vi–IV
- Dm–B♭–F–C: vi–IV–I–V
- Gm–C–F: ii–V–I
F and B♭ frequently require barre or partial shapes in standard tuning. The guide to chords in the key of F offers more focused fingering and progression guidance.
The I, IV, and V Chords in Every Major Key
The I, IV, and V chords are the three primary major chords of a major key.
| Key | I | IV | V |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | F | G |
| D♭ | D♭ | G♭ | A♭ |
| D | D | G | A |
| E♭ | E♭ | A♭ | B♭ |
| E | E | A | B |
| F | F | B♭ | C |
| F♯ | F♯ | B | C♯ |
| G | G | C | D |
| A♭ | A♭ | D♭ | E♭ |
| A | A | D | E |
| B♭ | B♭ | E♭ | F |
| B | B | E | F♯ |
The V chord creates strong movement toward I, while IV often prepares or expands movement away from the tonic. The diminished vii° chord can also behave like a dominant chord because it contains notes that strongly lead toward I.
The dedicated guide to the I–IV–V progression explains why these three chords appear so frequently in guitar music.
Relative Minor Keys
Every major key has a relative minor that uses the same key signature and diatonic chord collection.
The relative minor begins on the sixth degree of the major scale.
| Major key | Relative minor |
|---|---|
| C | Am |
| D♭ | B♭m |
| D | Bm |
| E♭ | Cm |
| E | C♯m |
| F | Dm |
| F♯ | D♯m |
| G | Em |
| A♭ | Fm |
| A | F♯m |
| B♭ | Gm |
| B | G♯m |
C major and A minor, for example, contain the same seven natural notes. The difference is tonal center: C feels like home in C major, while A feels like home in A minor.
The Circle of Fifths for guitar provides a visual way to connect major keys, key signatures, and their relative minor partners. Berklee describes the circle as an organization of the 12 pitch classes that also shows how major and natural minor scales relate.
Natural Minor-Key Guitar Chord Chart
The seven chords of a natural minor scale follow this pattern:
i minor – ii° diminished – III major – iv minor – v minor – VI major – VII major
| Minor key | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Am | Am | Bdim | C | Dm | Em | F | G |
| B♭m | B♭m | Cdim | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ |
| Bm | Bm | C♯dim | D | Em | F♯m | G | A |
| Cm | Cm | Ddim | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ |
| C♯m | C♯m | D♯dim | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B |
| Dm | Dm | Edim | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C |
| E♭m | E♭m | Fdim | G♭ | A♭m | B♭m | C♭ | D♭ |
| Em | Em | F♯dim | G | Am | Bm | C | D |
| Fm | Fm | Gdim | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ |
| F♯m | F♯m | G♯dim | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E |
| Gm | Gm | Adim | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F |
| G♯m | G♯m | A♯dim | B | C♯m | D♯m | E | F♯ |
This is the natural-minor chord set. Minor-key songs often use a major V or V7 chord instead of the natural-minor v chord.
In A minor, for example:
- Natural-minor v = Em
- Harmonic-minor V = E
- Harmonic-minor V7 = E7
Raising the seventh scale degree from G to G♯ creates a stronger leading tone and changes Em into E major. Musicians commonly combine natural- and harmonic-minor material rather than limiting a progression to only one minor-scale form.
Major-Key Seventh Chord Chart Formula
Adding another scale tone to each triad produces diatonic seventh chords.
The major-key pattern is:
Imaj7 – iim7 – iiim7 – IVmaj7 – V7 – vim7 – viiø7
In C major:
| Degree | Seventh chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Cmaj7 | C–E–G–B |
| iim7 | Dm7 | D–F–A–C |
| iiim7 | Em7 | E–G–B–D |
| IVmaj7 | Fmaj7 | F–A–C–E |
| V7 | G7 | G–B–D–F |
| vim7 | Am7 | A–C–E–G |
| viiø7 | Bm7♭5 | B–D–F–A |
The fifth chord is a dominant seventh, while the seventh is half-diminished.
These richer chord qualities are especially useful for jazz, soul, R&B, funk, and sophisticated acoustic arrangements.
Common Guitar Progressions in Any Key
Roman numerals let you apply one progression pattern to every key.
| Progression | Function | Example in C | Example in G |
|---|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V | Primary major chords | C–F–G | G–C–D |
| I–V–vi–IV | Common four-chord loop | C–G–Am–F | G–D–Em–C |
| vi–IV–I–V | Relative-minor opening | Am–F–C–G | Em–C–G–D |
| I–vi–IV–V | Tonic to relative minor | C–Am–F–G | G–Em–C–D |
| ii–V–I | Predominant–dominant–tonic | Dm–G–C | Am–D–G |
| I–iii–IV–V | Tonic expansion | C–Em–F–G | G–Bm–C–D |
A chord chart tells you which chords are available. A progression tells you how those chords move through time.
The guide to building guitar chord progressions explains how tonal functions and chord order shape musical direction.
The I–V–vi–IV pattern is particularly useful for practicing transposition because its Roman numerals remain unchanged in every major key.
How to Transpose a Chord Progression
Suppose a progression is:
C–Am–F–G
Step 1: Identify the original key
These chords belong to C major.
Step 2: Assign Roman numerals
- C = I
- Am = vi
- F = IV
- G = V
The progression is:
I–vi–IV–V
Step 3: Choose a new key
Transpose it to A major.
Step 4: Read the same degrees from the A-major row
- I = A
- vi = F♯m
- IV = D
- V = E
The new progression is:
A–F♯m–D–E
This method is more reliable than moving every chord by guesswork because it preserves the progression’s harmonic roles.
How to Find a Song’s Key From Its Chords
A list of chords can suggest several possible keys, especially when relative major and minor keys share the same chord set.
Use these clues:
Look for the tonal home
Which chord sounds most resolved? Which chord begins or ends important sections?
Find the matching chart row
Compare the song’s chords with the rows in the chart. The row containing most of them is a strong candidate.
Examine dominant movement
A V or V7 chord often resolves to I.
For example:
D7 → G
strongly suggests G as a tonal center because D7 is the dominant seventh of G.
Distinguish relative major and minor
C major and A minor share the same basic notes and chords. A song using C, F, G, Am, Dm, and Em could belong to either.
If phrases repeatedly resolve to Am, the key is more likely A minor. If they resolve to C, the key is more likely C major.
Notice chords outside the row
One out-of-key chord does not automatically disprove the key. Songs may use secondary dominants, borrowed chords, modal mixture, or chromatic passing harmony.
A key chart is a starting framework, not a rule saying that every chord in a song must be diatonic.
Why Some Songs Use Chords Outside the Key
Many songs add nondiatonic chords for stronger movement or a different color.
Common examples include:
Secondary dominants
A secondary dominant temporarily treats a diatonic chord as a destination.
In C major:
A7 → Dm
A7 contains C♯, which is outside C major, but it strongly leads to Dm.
Borrowed chords
A major-key song may borrow from its parallel minor.
In C major, common borrowed chords include:
- Fm
- A♭
- B♭
- E♭
Blues harmony
A blues progression may use dominant seventh chords on I, IV, and V:
A7–D7–E7
These chord qualities do not all belong to the strict A-major diatonic seventh set, but they define a standard blues sound.
Modal harmony
A progression may be based on Dorian, Mixolydian, or another mode rather than ordinary major or natural minor harmony.
Do not assume a chord is wrong simply because it is absent from the basic chart. Ask how it functions and where it moves.
Guitar-Friendly Keys and Common Challenges
| Key | Guitar advantages | Common challenge |
|---|---|---|
| C | Many open chords | F may require a partial or full barre |
| G | Strong open G, C, D, Em shapes | Bm often requires a barre |
| D | Resonant D, G, A, Em shapes | Bm and F♯m |
| A | Compact A, D, E shapes | Bm, C♯m, and F♯m |
| E | Strong open E, A, and B7 options | Several diatonic minor barre chords |
| F | Useful for vocals and brass instruments | F and B♭ barre shapes |
| B♭ | Common in ensemble music | Multiple barre chords |
| E♭ | Useful for brass-heavy arrangements | Few basic open-position options |
A difficult key is not theoretically different from an easy one. The challenge comes from available guitar fingerings.
Movable barre chords and partial voicings allow every key to become playable without relying on open strings.
How to Practice Chords in Every Key
1. Begin with five practical keys
Start with:
- C
- G
- D
- A
- E
2. Play I, IV, and V
In each key, play the three primary major chords.
3. Add vi
The relative-minor chord gives you four-chord patterns such as I–V–vi–IV.
4. Add ii
The ii chord prepares the dominant and allows ii–V–I practice.
5. Add iii and vii°
These appear less frequently in basic guitar progressions, but they complete the diatonic set.
6. Say the Roman numeral aloud
Do not practice only the chord names. Identify each chord’s function.
7. Move one progression through several keys
Take I–IV–V or I–V–vi–IV and play it in C, G, D, A, and E.
Five-Minute Key-Chord Practice Routine
Minute 1: Choose a key
Name its seven scale notes.
Minute 2: Play I, IV, and V
Listen to how V resolves into I.
Minute 3: Add vi
Play I–V–vi–IV.
Minute 4: Add ii
Play ii–V–I.
Minute 5: Transpose
Move one of the progressions into the next key around the Circle of Fifths.
A scale finder can help confirm the scale notes behind the selected chord family, while a guitar chord finder can help locate unfamiliar shapes.
Common Guitar Key Chart Mistakes
Assuming every chord in a key is major
Only I, IV, and V are major triads in a standard major key. ii, iii, and vi are minor, while vii° is diminished.
Ignoring chord quality
D and Dm are different chords. Reading only the root letters produces an incorrect progression.
Confusing key with first chord
A song can begin on a chord other than I. Determine which chord feels like the tonal center.
Treating relative major and minor as identical
They share notes and chords, but their tonic and musical direction differ.
Forgetting theoretically correct spellings
F♯ major contains E♯, not F natural. Correct spelling shows the chord’s true scale-degree function.
Assuming every song stays diatonic
Borrowed chords, secondary dominants, modal mixture, and blues harmony can introduce notes outside the basic key.
Memorizing rows without playing them
The chart becomes useful when you hear the relationships and apply them to progressions.
Using one chord shape for every situation
A chart names the harmony. The best voicing depends on register, neighboring chords, arrangement, and hand comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
What chords are in every major key?
Every major key contains seven diatonic triads following the pattern major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
What do I, IV, and V mean?
They are Roman numerals representing the first, fourth, and fifth chords of a key. In C major, they are C, F, and G.
Why are some Roman numerals uppercase and others lowercase?
Uppercase numerals indicate major chords. Lowercase numerals indicate minor chords. A degree symbol indicates diminished quality.
What is the relative minor of a major key?
The relative minor begins on the sixth degree of the major scale. C major’s relative minor is A minor, while G major’s is E minor.
How do I know which chords sound good together?
Begin with chords from the same key row. I, IV, V, and vi are especially useful starting points, but chord order and musical context still matter.
Can a song use a chord that is not in its key?
Yes. Songs commonly use borrowed chords, secondary dominants, modal mixture, chromatic passing chords, and blues harmony.
Why is the V chord sometimes major in a minor key?
Raising the seventh note of natural minor produces a leading tone and changes the minor v chord into a stronger major V or dominant V7.
How do I transpose guitar chords into another key?
Convert the original chords into Roman numerals, choose the new key, and select the same scale degrees from that key’s row.
What are the easiest guitar keys?
C, G, D, A, and E are common starting keys because they contain several familiar open chords, although each has at least one potentially challenging shape.
Does a guitar key chart show chord fingerings?
No. It identifies the chords and their harmonic positions. Chord diagrams or a chord-finding tool are needed for exact finger placements.
What is the diminished chord in a major key?
The diminished chord is built on the seventh scale degree and is written vii°. In C major, it is B diminished.
Are C♯ major and D♭ major the same key?
They sound at the same pitch in equal temperament but use different note names and key signatures. The correct spelling depends on musical context.