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- Minor
Guitar chord diagrams and chord theory. This is the Chord Section of Olav Torvund's Guitar Site.
Modified: Jan 8 2008 - Minor
Guitar chord diagrams and chord theory. This is the Chord Section of Olav Torvund's Guitar Site.
Modified: Jan 8 2008 - 6
Guitar chord diagrams and chord theory. This is the Chord Section of Olav Torvund's Guitar Site.
Modified: Jan 4 2008 - Sonic shapes
Guitar chord diagrams and chord theory. This is the Chord Section of Olav Torvund's Guitar Site.
Modified: Jan 4 2008 - Major
Guitar chord diagrams and chord theory. This is the Chord Section of Olav Torvund's Guitar Site.
Modified: Jan 4 2008
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Minor - minor
| Name: minor |
Minor Chords
Find chord shapes
| Cm | C#m/Dbm | Dm | D#m/Ebm | Em | Fm | F#m/Gbm | Gm | G#m/Abm | Am | Bbm | Bm |
The minor chord is a triad (a three-note chord). From the root you go up a minor third, and then a major third up to the fifth. I is the minor third up from the root that makes it a major chord. For more on this, go to the lesson on chords in my Theory series. The chord has the notes - counted from the root - 1 - b3 - 5. In C-minor that is C - Eb - G. The chord might be inverted, meaning that we change the order of the notes. In first inversion we play the notes b3 - 5 - 1, or Eb - G - C if we stick to C-minor. The second inversion is 5 - 1 - b3, or G - C - Eb in C-minor.
For an overview of Minor triad shapes, go to my Chord Shape lesson.
Notes are often doubled, meaning that we for instance can have 1 - b3 - 5 - 1 - b3, 1 - b3 - 5 - 1 - 5 or 1 - 5 - 1 - b3 - 5. As long as the notes in the chord are the same, it is the same chord (with some modification when we come to larger chords, that might have several functions). Different sequence and different doubling of notes will give different inversion and voicings. Different voicings sound slightly different, even if they are all the same chord. Sometimes we think of it as different fingerings of a chord. But that indicates that we think mainly of its ease of playing, and not on how it sounds in a musical context. The term voicing reminds us that it is a matter of musical sounds, and not of fingerings.
The majority of us play more songs in major than in minor key. It is likely that you meet minor chords as secondary chords in major keys more often than as primary chords in minor keys. For this reason I will start with major, where the primary chords are I - IV - V, or C - E - G in C-major. Our first minor chord is then Amthe relative minor chord, labeled vi, and named submediant. In C-major this chord is . For more about the minor chords as vi-chord, go The vi-chord lesson in my Chord progression series.
The next minor-chord function is the ii chord, called supertonic. You will often hear it before the V chord, when the music is on its way back home to the tonic / root. The ii - V - I progression, Dm - G - C in C-major, can be heard very often. For more about the minor chord in this function, go to The ii-chord lesson in my Chord progression series.
The last of the three secondary chords is the mediant, or the iii chord. It has a less clear role than the two other secondary chord, and will more often be used as a passing chord. Go to The iii-chord lesson in my Chord progression series for more on this chord function.
In minor keys the minor chords become the primary chords. In natural minor, also known as the aeolian mode, the three chords are i - iv - v, or Cm - Fm - Gm in C-minor. But minor is a less stable harmonic structure compared to its major cousin. In harmonic minor we play a major V instead of the minor v, as it gives a stronger tonal definition through the V-i cadence. In melodic minor the iv chord may also be substituted by its parallel major IV chord. Go to the various Minor chord progressions in my Chord Progressions Series for more about minor chords in minor keys.
In Dorian mode the minor chord is the i chord. You will often hear just the i and bVII chords, particularly in many folk tunes. Popular keys are D-dorian with Dm-C and A-dorian with Am-G. In C-dorian the chords will be Cm-Bb. If we should add other diatonic minor chords to dorian, it would be theii and v chords.
Phrygian mode has a flamenco feel, and you can often hear the chords i-bII-bIII. In C-phrygian this will be Cm - Db - Eb. A much more popular key is E-phrygian, with the chords Em - F - G. You might also use the minor iv and bvii chords, which would be Fm and Bbm in C-phrygian, and Am and Dm if you are in E-phrygian.
Recordings with - minor Chord
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