Keys and Their Chords
When to read this: after Session 7, “The Key of G” (5 minutes); after Session 13, “The Chords of a Key”, “The Turnaround” (10 minutes); after Session 15, “The Key of D” (5 minutes); after Session 33, “Chords by Number in G Major and E Minor” (5 minutes). None of this reading is part of a session’s 50 minutes.
What You’ll Learn
Section titled “What You’ll Learn”You read this handout in four parts, each after the session that sends you to it.
- After Session 7: the key of G and its one sharp.
- After Session 13: the chords of a key, and the turnaround.
- After Session 15: the key of D.
- After Session 33: the chords of G major and E minor by number.
Every section below ends with the questions for your theory cards.
The Key of G
Section titled “The Key of G”A major scale climbs from its home note by whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half steps. From G, the seventh note has to be a whole step above E, and that is F sharp, not F; so the key of G has one sharp, F sharp.
- Key signature — The sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece that tell you which key the music is in. Each one holds for every note of that letter, and a major key shares its key signature with its relative minor: G major and E minor both have one sharp, F sharp. (Session 7)
Copy of Session 7: G major scale, two octaves, open position
G major scale, two octaves, open position: up and down, quarter notes e|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------|-------0---1---3---| G|----------------------|---------------0---|---2---------------| D|----------------------|---0---2---4-------|-------------------| A|----------0---2---3---|-------------------|-------------------| E|------3---------------|-------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Pick: D U D U D U D U D U D U Finger: 3 - 2 3 - 2 4 - 2 - 1 3 Notes: G A B C D E F# G A B C D e|------0---2---3---2---|---0---------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------3---1---0---|-------------------| G|----------------------|-------------------|---2---0-----------| D|----------------------|-------------------|-----------4---2---| A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Pick: D U D U D U D U D U D U Finger: - 2 3 2 - 3 1 - 2 - 4 2 Notes: E F# G F# E D C B A G F# E e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------| G|----------------------|-------------------| D|------0---------------|-------------------| A|----------3---2---0---|-------------------| E|----------------------|---3---------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D U D U D Finger: - 3 2 - 3 Notes: D C B A G
G major scale, in quarter notes: one note per click. The top G is played once. The last G lasts four beats: let it ring while you count (2) (3) (4).
In a scale or an arpeggio the pick alternates on every note, down then up, whatever the count: in quarter notes an upstroke falls on counts 2 and 4. In a tune the pick follows the count: down on the numbers, up on the &s.
This block is for reading here: play it in its session and in the week’s row, not from this handout.
Read the Notes row of the block going up, from the first G to the top G, and say each note’s name aloud. Point to the two F sharps on the way: string 4 at fret 4, and string 1 at fret 2.
The table gives the seven steps of the scale going up, from G to the next G: the size of the step from each note to the next.
| Step | From | To | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | A | whole |
| 2 | A | B | whole |
| 3 | B | C | half |
| 4 | C | D | whole |
| 5 | D | E | whole |
| 6 | E | F# | whole |
| 7 | F# | G | half |
The same seven notes from E are the E natural minor scale, E, F sharp, G, A, B, C, D: E minor is the relative minor of G major (Session 4), which is why the two share a key signature.
Theory cards: three questions. The answer printed after each is the back of its card.
- What is the pattern of whole and half steps of a major scale? Answer: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.
- Why is the seventh note of G major F sharp and not F? Answer: The seventh note has to be a whole step above E, and that is F sharp.
- How many sharps does the key of G have, and which? Answer: One sharp, F sharp.
The Chords of a Key
Section titled “The Chords of a Key”Build a chord on each note of a major scale from that scale’s notes alone, taking every other note. The chords on notes 1, 4 and 5 are major (I, IV, V) and the chords on notes 2, 3 and 6 are minor (ii, iii, vi); the chord on note 7 is neither, and this course does not use it. With one more note added in the same way, the chord on note 5 is a dominant seventh chord (V7): ii, V7 and I are Dm, G7 and C in the key of C, and Am, D7 and G in the key of G.
- Chord numbers — Roman numerals for the chords built on the notes of a key’s scale, counted from the home note. An uppercase numeral is a major chord (I, IV, V), a lowercase one a minor chord (ii, iii, vi), and a 7 after the numeral adds the seventh (V7). (Session 13)
The table gives the chords of the key of C, note by note.
| Note of the scale | Number | Chord |
|---|---|---|
| C | I | C |
| D | ii | Dm |
| E | iii | Em |
| F | IV | F |
| G | V, and V7 with the seventh added | G, and G7 |
| A | vi | Am |
G7 and C7, the two new chords of Session 13, are dominant seventh chords like those of Seventh Chords: G7 adds F and C7 adds B flat, each two frets below the root; G7 is the V7 chord of the key of C, and C7 belongs to neither key of this section.
Of the key of G only ii, V7 and I are named in this section, Am, D7 and G; the whole key of G by number is in the last section of this handout.
Where a key’s IV chord is F, the shape this course plays is the simplified F.
Theory cards: three questions. The answer printed after each is the back of its card.
- Which chord numbers of a major key are major chords, and which are minor? Answer: I, IV and V are major; ii, iii and vi are minor.
- What is the V7 chord of the key of C, and of the key of G? Answer: G7 in the key of C, and D7 in the key of G.
- What does a 7 after a numeral add? Answer: The seventh, as in V7.
The Turnaround
Section titled “The Turnaround”-
The two, five and one chords (ii, V, I) — The chords on notes 2, 5 and 1 of a major scale, played in that order so that the progression comes to rest on the home chord. In the key of C they are Dm, G7 and C; in the key of G they are Am, D7 and G. (Session 13)
-
Turnaround — The last measure of a 12-bar blues, which leads back to the start. In this course it is also a short chord progression that leads back to the home chord, such as the two, five and one chords. (Session 13)
The table gives the two, five and one chords of both keys, in the order they are played.
| Key | ii | V7 | I |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dm | G7 | C |
| G | Am | D7 | G |
Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.
On your guitar: with no metronome, strum Dm once, G7 once and C once, saying “two”, “five” and “one” as you strum each. Then strum Am, D7 and G the same way. Play each key’s three chords four times.
No chord here holds a barre.
Theory cards: two questions. The answer printed after each is the back of its card.
- What are the two, five and one chords of the key of C, and of the key of G? Answer: Dm, G7 and C in the key of C; Am, D7 and G in the key of G.
- What does a turnaround, as a short chord progression, lead back to? Answer: The home chord.
The Key of D
Section titled “The Key of D”The D major scale is D, E, F sharp, G, A, B, C sharp, so the key of D major has two sharps, F sharp and C sharp. Its I, IV, V and vi chords are D, G, A and Bm.
Copy of Session 15: D major scale, one octave, open position
D major scale, one octave, open position: up and down, quarter notes e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------0---2---3---| G|------------------0---|---2---------------| D|------0---2---4-------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Pick: D U D U D U D U Finger: - 2 4 - 2 - 2 3 Notes: D E F# G A B C# D e|----------------------|-------------------| B|------2---0-----------|-------------------| G|--------------2---0---|-------------------| D|----------------------|---4---2---0-------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 (4) Pick: D U D U D U D Finger: 2 - 2 - 4 2 - Notes: C# B A G F# E D
D major scale, in quarter notes: one note per click. The top D is played once. The last D lasts two beats: let it ring while you count (4).
The table gives four chords of the key of D by number.
| Number | Chord |
|---|---|
| I | D |
| IV | G |
| V | A |
| vi | Bm, played as Bm (four strings) |
The table counts the sharps of the three major keys of this handout.
| Key | Number of sharps | Which |
|---|---|---|
| C | none | none |
| G | one | F sharp |
| D | two | F sharp and C sharp |
Theory cards: three questions. The answer printed after each is the back of its card.
- What are the two sharps of the key of D? Answer: F sharp and C sharp.
- What are the I, IV, V and vi chords of the key of D? Answer: D, G, A and Bm.
- What are the notes of the D major scale going up? Answer: D, E, F sharp, G, A, B, C sharp, D.
Chords by Number in G Major and E Minor
Section titled “Chords by Number in G Major and E Minor”G major and E minor are relative keys, so they are built from the same chords. Counted from G, the six this course uses are I G, ii Am, iii Bm, IV C, V D and vi Em; counted from E the same six are i Em, III G, iv Am, v Bm, VI C and VII D. A tune in E minor often has B7 in place of Bm, because it raises its seventh note, D, to D sharp. The G major pentatonic is for a progression whose home chord is G, and the E minor pentatonic, the same five notes, for one whose home chord is Em.
The table numbers each of the six chords twice: counted from G, and counted from E.
| Chord | Number in G major | Number in E minor |
|---|---|---|
| G | I | III |
| Am | ii | iv |
| Bm | iii | v |
| C | IV | VI |
| D | V | VII |
| Em | vi | i |
A minor key’s chords are numbered from its own home note, with a lowercase numeral for each minor chord.
| Home chord | Key | Pentatonic that fits |
|---|---|---|
| G | G major | G major pentatonic, two octaves, open position |
| Em | E minor | E minor pentatonic, two octaves, open position |
G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes.
Theory cards: three questions. The answer printed after each is the back of its card.
- What are the six chords of G major by number? Answer: I G, ii Am, iii Bm, IV C, V D and vi Em.
- What are the same six chords numbered from E? Answer: i Em, III G, iv Am, v Bm, VI C and VII D.
- Which chord often stands in place of Bm in a tune in E minor, and why? Answer: B7, because the tune raises its seventh note, D, to D sharp.