Doug McCarron 7 Chords in a Major Key

The SEVEN CHORDS in a MAJOR KEY

As there are seven notes in a Major Scale, there are seven basic chords in a Major Key, named for one of the notes in the scale. From these seven chords come all sort of variations, but first one should know the basics. Let’s use the Key of C Major as it has no sharp or flat notes so we can look at primary notes. Also remember the Major Scale is WWHWWWH. (W=Whole Step H= Half Step).

C c# D d# E F f# G g# A a# B C

Whole Step
2 frets

Half Step
1 Fret

The point of playing in a key is you limit your self to those notes included in the key. This is not an absolute rule as it is possible to use notes outside the key, and there is twelve tone music that uses all the notes, but to understand the structure of music, you need to understand playing in Key first, before you go exploring. Once you learn it you can flow around the edges, but often new people try it and sound like they don’t have a clue what they are doing. Because they don’t.

Each chord is named after a note in the Key. Each of these chords is numbered by the order it holds in the Key. For instance in the Key of C the 1 Chord is C. The chord G would be the 5 chord (C D E F G the fifth chord).

The 1 Chord is named after the first note in the Key and is always Major in a Major Key. In this case C Major. The 1 chord of a Major Key is always the result of a Major triad. A Major chord is named after the source note (1), skips two whole steps to the 3 note, then skips a Half Step and a Whole Step the the 5 note. The Triad is the note naming the chord, skip a note to the 3, skip a note to the 5.

The 2 Chord is named after the second note in the Key and is always Minor in a Major Key. In this case D Minor. The 2 chord of a Major Key is always the result of a Minor triad. It is named after the source note (1), skips a Half Step and a Whole Step to the 3 note, then skips two whole steps to the 5 note. Source note names the chord, skip a note to the 3, skip a note to the 5.

The 3 Chord is always Minor in a Major Key. In this case E Minor. Start with a the source note (1), skip a Half Step and a Whole Step to the 3 note, then skip two whole steps to the 5 note.

The 4 Chord is always Major in a Major Key. In this case F Major. Start with a the source note (1), skip a Half Step and a Whole Step to the 3 note, then skips two whole steps to the 5 note.

The 5 Chord is always Major in a Major Key. In this case G Major. Start with a the source note (1), skip a Half Step and a Whole Step to the 3 note, then skips two whole steps to the 5 note.

The 6 Chord is always Minor in a Major Key. In this case A Minor. Start with a the source note (1), skip a Half Step and a Whole Step to the 3 note, then skip two whole steps to the 5 note. It is also the pivot chord to the Relative Minor Key.

The 7 Chord is a Diminished Chord in a Major Key, in this case B Diminished. A Diminished is the combination of two Minor Shifts. Start with a the source note (1), skip a Half Step and a Whole Step to the 3 note, then skip a Half Step and a Whole Step again to the 5 note.

Notice that notes of the Key forces the arrangement of notes in the chords. To be in key you have to land on the notes of the Key. The 1 chord has to be Major in order to land on the three notes called for by the triad and also to land on notes in the Key. The 6 chord has to be Minor. If you used A Major chord that would have a C#, and C# is note in the Key of C Major, so you have to use C. That is also the reason for the Diminished chord, the 7 chord. The triad calls for the notes B, D and F, and as you can’t sharp or flat them, the Key compels you to use these three notes which each have Minor Shifts. As I said the combination of two Minor Shifts is called a Diminished chord.

Can you have two Major shifts in a chord? Absolutely. That is called an Augmented chord. Lets say we are using C Augmented. That would look like this.

Notice the second Major Shift forced the G to become a G# (sharp). If you try this chord you will find it does not have a particularly settled feeling. That is part of it’s charm though. It, and the Diminished chord, are often used as transition chords. You stick them in to create a brief tension, then resolve back to the Key, or to a new Key. Or you can make mean hard songs with them.

So that is the essential chord pattern of a Major Key. The 1, 4 and 5 chords are all Major, the 2,3 and 6 chords are always Minor, and the 7 chord is Diminished..

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