The scale’s notes are numbered from 1 to 7. Roman numerals are used to label the basic triad (1-3-5) chords built on each of those notes.
C Major
Chords in the key of
The notes of the C major scale are:
C – D – E – F – G – A – B
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
| C major | D minor | E minor | F major | G major | A minor | B diminished |
| C - E - G | D - F - A | E - G - B | F - A - C | G - B - D | A - C - E | B - D - F |
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That’s the diatonic set. If you stay strictly inside the key, these are your friends. The pattern of naming chords for every major key is:
Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major, Minor, Diminished. Numerals in UPPERCASE (I, IV, V) denote major chords, and numerals in lowercase (ii, iii, vi) denote minor chords.
C Major: Extended Chords
Cmaj7
C - E - G - B
Dm7
D - F - A - C
G7
G - B - D - F
Am7
A - C - E - G
Fmaj7
F - A - C - E
B♭
B♭ - D - F
C Major’s Parallel Minor
Changing between parallel keys can feel bold, emotional, and cinematic.
These notes come from the C natural minor scale (E♭, A♭, and B♭), and are commonly borrowed individually to colour chords in C major:
| ♭III | iv | v | ♭VI | ♭VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ |
| E♭ major | F minor | G minor | A♭ major | B♭ major |
| E♭ - G - B♭ | F - A♭ - C | G - B♭ - D | A♭ - C - E♭ | B♭ - D - F |
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