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The 6 Most Common Chords In Any Key
Practice Guide - Issue 7 - Key of C Major
In Part 1 of Issue 7, we figured out the I, V and IV chords, which are the C, G and F major chords.
C major scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G
If you refer to the scale directly above, the next 3 chords will be built on the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes of the scale and are all minor chords.
The ii Chord
The second note of the C major scale is a D, which is the root note of the ii chord. I'm using the lower case roman numeral to indicate that the chord is minor.
The iii Chord
The third note of the C major scale is an E, which is the root note of the
iii chord.
The vi Chord
The sixth note of the C major scale is an A, which is the root note of the
vi chord.
If you start on the A and go every other note in the scale, the remaining two notes of the Am chord are C and E.
The 6 Most Common Chords In C Major
C Major: C - E - G
G Major: G - B - D
F Major: F - A - C
Am: A - C - E
Em: E - G - B
Dm: D - F - A
Eventually, you'll come across songs that have more than 6 chords. This is when it helps to know a few substitution chords, but this is something I cover in greater detail in my Piano Super Course.
However, knowing the 6 most common chords in any key is a great starting point, and will make the hardest part of learning songs by ear a whole lot easier.
Practice Guide - Issue #8 - Key of G Major
In the next issue I'll be covering the 6 most common chords in the key of G major, which is a very common key.