The Keys

Chords in every key.

All 30 keys — 15 major, 15 minor — in circle-of-fifths order. Each card lists the seven diatonic chords in that key’s own spelling. Open one for guitar diagrams, audio, the scale, progressions and its relative and parallel keys.

Circle of fifths Scales Transposer Progressions

15 Major Keys

Bright. Stable.

Ordered C → C♯ up the sharp side, then F → C♭ down the flat side. The last key in each direction is theoretical: it sounds identical to its twin and exists only so a score stays readable.

C Major

Natural

C · Dm · Em · F · G · Am · Bdim

Relative: A Minor

G Major

1 ♯

G · Am · Bm · C · D · Em · F♯dim

Relative: E Minor

D Major

2 ♯

D · Em · F♯m · G · A · Bm · C♯dim

Relative: B Minor

A Major

3 ♯

A · Bm · C♯m · D · E · F♯m · G♯dim

Relative: F♯ Minor

E Major

4 ♯

E · F♯m · G♯m · A · B · C♯m · D♯dim

Relative: C♯ Minor

B Major

5 ♯

B · C♯m · D♯m · E · F♯ · G♯m · A♯dim

Relative: G♯ Minor

F♯ Major

6 ♯

F♯ · G♯m · A♯m · B · C♯ · D♯m · E♯dim

Relative: D♯ Minor

C♯ Major

7 ♯Theoretical

C♯ · D♯m · E♯m · F♯ · G♯ · A♯m · B♯dim

Relative: A♯ Minor

F Major

1 ♭

F · Gm · Am · B♭ · C · Dm · Edim

Relative: D Minor

B♭ Major

2 ♭

B♭ · Cm · Dm · E♭ · F · Gm · Adim

Relative: G Minor

E♭ Major

3 ♭

E♭ · Fm · Gm · A♭ · B♭ · Cm · Ddim

Relative: C Minor

A♭ Major

4 ♭

A♭ · B♭m · Cm · D♭ · E♭ · Fm · Gdim

Relative: F Minor

D♭ Major

5 ♭

D♭ · E♭m · Fm · G♭ · A♭ · B♭m · Cdim

Relative: B♭ Minor

G♭ Major

6 ♭

G♭ · A♭m · B♭m · C♭ · D♭ · E♭m · Fdim

Relative: E♭ Minor

C♭ Major

7 ♭Theoretical

C♭ · D♭m · E♭m · F♭ · G♭ · A♭m · B♭dim

Relative: A♭ Minor

15 Minor Keys

Dark. Restless.

Every minor key shares its signature with a major key a minor third above — same seven notes, different centre of gravity.

A Minor

Natural

Am · Bdim · C · Dm · Em · F · G

Relative: C Major

E Minor

1 ♯

Em · F♯dim · G · Am · Bm · C · D

Relative: G Major

B Minor

2 ♯

Bm · C♯dim · D · Em · F♯m · G · A

Relative: D Major

F♯ Minor

3 ♯

F♯m · G♯dim · A · Bm · C♯m · D · E

Relative: A Major

C♯ Minor

4 ♯

C♯m · D♯dim · E · F♯m · G♯m · A · B

Relative: E Major

G♯ Minor

5 ♯

G♯m · A♯dim · B · C♯m · D♯m · E · F♯

Relative: B Major

D♯ Minor

6 ♯

D♯m · E♯dim · F♯ · G♯m · A♯m · B · C♯

Relative: F♯ Major

A♯ Minor

7 ♯Theoretical

A♯m · B♯dim · C♯ · D♯m · E♯m · F♯ · G♯

Relative: C♯ Major

D Minor

1 ♭

Dm · Edim · F · Gm · Am · B♭ · C

Relative: F Major

G Minor

2 ♭

Gm · Adim · B♭ · Cm · Dm · E♭ · F

Relative: B♭ Major

C Minor

3 ♭

Cm · Ddim · E♭ · Fm · Gm · A♭ · B♭

Relative: E♭ Major

F Minor

4 ♭

Fm · Gdim · A♭ · B♭m · Cm · D♭ · E♭

Relative: A♭ Major

B♭ Minor

5 ♭

B♭m · Cdim · D♭ · E♭m · Fm · G♭ · A♭

Relative: D♭ Major

E♭ Minor

6 ♭

E♭m · Fdim · G♭ · A♭m · B♭m · C♭ · D♭

Relative: G♭ Major

A♭ Minor

7 ♭Theoretical

A♭m · B♭dim · C♭ · D♭m · E♭m · F♭ · G♭

Relative: C♭ Major

Start here

New to keys? The reference key — no sharps, no flats. The key of C major is the shortest path to understanding how the other twenty-nine work — then G major and E minor if you play guitar.