6. Bonus: Minor Keys Work the Same Way
The same “stack thirds using only notes in the key” method applies to natural minor keys — the quality pattern is just shuffled:
minor – diminished – major – minor – minor – major – major
Example, A natural minor (same notes as C major, just starting on A):
| Degree | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord | Am | Bdim | C | Dm | Em | F | G |
Notice it’s the exact same 7 chords as C major — just renumbered starting from A. Every major key has a “relative minor” that shares all the same chords this way.
← Previous: Why Songs Don’t Always Match | Next: Exercises →