D Minor
Chords in the key of
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.
The notes of the D natural minor scale are:
D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C
| i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dm | Edim | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C |
| D minor | E diminished | F major | G minor | A minor | B flat major | C major |
| D - F - A | E - G - B♭ | F - A - C | G - B♭ - D | A - C - E | B♭ - D - F | C - E - G |
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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 minor key is:
Minor, Diminished, Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major. Numerals in UPPERCASE (III, VI, VII) denote major chords, and numerals in lowercase (i, ii°, iv, v) denote minor chords.
D Minor: Extended Chords
D HARMONIC Minor: RESOLVING + cinematic
D natural/diatonic minor often borrows the 7th note from D harmonic minor; it’s just one semitone higher but creates and resolves tension far better than its diatonic counterpart.
This raises D minor’s C to C#, which affects D minor’s III, v, & VII chords:
| III+ | V | vii° |
|---|---|---|
| Faug | A | C#dim |
| F augmented | A major | C# diminished |
| F - A - C# | A - C# - E | C# - E - G |
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