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Diatonic
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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What are diatonic chords?
Take the seven notes of a scale and build a chord on each one using only notes of that same scale. The result is a family of seven chords that sound good together: these are the diatonic chords of the key.
In every major key the pattern is the same: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. In C major that gives C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim. A great many pop, rock and folk songs are built almost entirely from these seven chords.
Musicians number them with Roman numerals — I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii° — so that a progression such as I–V–vi–IV can be played in any key. The tables below list all 12 major and 12 minor keys as triads and as seventh chords.
Diatonic chords in all 12 major keys
| Key | IT | iiSD | iiiT | IVSD | VD | viT | vii°D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | Triads | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
| Seventh chords | Cmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7 | Fmaj7 | G7 | Am7 | Bm7b5 | |
| G major | Triads | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F#dim |
| Seventh chords | Gmaj7 | Am7 | Bm7 | Cmaj7 | D7 | Em7 | F#m7b5 | |
| D major | Triads | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm | C#dim |
| Seventh chords | Dmaj7 | Em7 | F#m7 | Gmaj7 | A7 | Bm7 | C#m7b5 | |
| A major | Triads | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m | G#dim |
| Seventh chords | Amaj7 | Bm7 | C#m7 | Dmaj7 | E7 | F#m7 | G#m7b5 | |
| E major | Triads | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m | D#dim |
| Seventh chords | Emaj7 | F#m7 | G#m7 | Amaj7 | B7 | C#m7 | D#m7b5 | |
| B major | Triads | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | G#m | A#dim |
| Seventh chords | Bmaj7 | C#m7 | D#m7 | Emaj7 | F#7 | G#m7 | A#m7b5 | |
| F# major | Triads | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m | E#dim |
| Seventh chords | F#maj7 | G#m7 | A#m7 | Bmaj7 | C#7 | D#m7 | E#m7b5 | |
| Db major | Triads | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab | Bbm | Cdim |
| Seventh chords | Dbmaj7 | Ebm7 | Fm7 | Gbmaj7 | Ab7 | Bbm7 | Cm7b5 | |
| Ab major | Triads | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb | Fm | Gdim |
| Seventh chords | Abmaj7 | Bbm7 | Cm7 | Dbmaj7 | Eb7 | Fm7 | Gm7b5 | |
| Eb major | Triads | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb | Cm | Ddim |
| Seventh chords | Ebmaj7 | Fm7 | Gm7 | Abmaj7 | Bb7 | Cm7 | Dm7b5 | |
| Bb major | Triads | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F | Gm | Adim |
| Seventh chords | Bbmaj7 | Cm7 | Dm7 | Ebmaj7 | F7 | Gm7 | Am7b5 | |
| F major | Triads | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm | Edim |
| Seventh chords | Fmaj7 | Gm7 | Am7 | Bbmaj7 | C7 | Dm7 | Em7b5 |
Function: T = tonic · SD = subdominant · D = dominant
Diatonic chords in all 12 minor keys (natural minor)
Jump to:AmEmBmF#mC#mG#mEbmBbmFmCmGmDm
| Key | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A minor (Am) | Triads | Am | Bdim | C | Dm | Em | F | G |
| Seventh chords | Am7 | Bm7b5 | Cmaj7 | Dm7 | Em7 | Fmaj7 | G7 | |
| E minor (Em) | Triads | Em | F#dim | G | Am | Bm | C | D |
| Seventh chords | Em7 | F#m7b5 | Gmaj7 | Am7 | Bm7 | Cmaj7 | D7 | |
| B minor (Bm) | Triads | Bm | C#dim | D | Em | F#m | G | A |
| Seventh chords | Bm7 | C#m7b5 | Dmaj7 | Em7 | F#m7 | Gmaj7 | A7 | |
| F# minor (F#m) | Triads | F#m | G#dim | A | Bm | C#m | D | E |
| Seventh chords | F#m7 | G#m7b5 | Amaj7 | Bm7 | C#m7 | Dmaj7 | E7 | |
| C# minor (C#m) | Triads | C#m | D#dim | E | F#m | G#m | A | B |
| Seventh chords | C#m7 | D#m7b5 | Emaj7 | F#m7 | G#m7 | Amaj7 | B7 | |
| G# minor (G#m) | Triads | G#m | A#dim | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# |
| Seventh chords | G#m7 | A#m7b5 | Bmaj7 | C#m7 | D#m7 | Emaj7 | F#7 | |
| Eb minor (Ebm) | Triads | Ebm | Fdim | Gb | Abm | Bbm | Cb | Db |
| Seventh chords | Ebm7 | Fm7b5 | Gbmaj7 | Abm7 | Bbm7 | Cbmaj7 | Db7 | |
| Bb minor (Bbm) | Triads | Bbm | Cdim | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab |
| Seventh chords | Bbm7 | Cm7b5 | Dbmaj7 | Ebm7 | Fm7 | Gbmaj7 | Ab7 | |
| F minor (Fm) | Triads | Fm | Gdim | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb |
| Seventh chords | Fm7 | Gm7b5 | Abmaj7 | Bbm7 | Cm7 | Dbmaj7 | Eb7 | |
| C minor (Cm) | Triads | Cm | Ddim | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb |
| Seventh chords | Cm7 | Dm7b5 | Ebmaj7 | Fm7 | Gm7 | Abmaj7 | Bb7 | |
| G minor (Gm) | Triads | Gm | Adim | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F |
| Seventh chords | Gm7 | Am7b5 | Bbmaj7 | Cm7 | Dm7 | Ebmaj7 | F7 | |
| D minor (Dm) | Triads | Dm | Edim | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C |
| Seventh chords | Dm7 | Em7b5 | Fmaj7 | Gm7 | Am7 | Bbmaj7 | C7 |
How to read the tables
- Find the key of your song in the first column.
- Read across: those seven chords are the ones most likely to fit.
- Use the degrees to move a progression to another key — keep the numerals, change the row.
- In major keys, T, SD and D tell you the role of each chord: rest, movement and tension.
Diatonic chords — frequently asked questions
- Why do the minor tables not show T, SD and D?
- In minor keys musicians often borrow chords from the harmonic and melodic minor scales, and textbooks do not agree on the function of some degrees. The tables show the natural minor chords and their degrees, which is the common starting point.
- What is the difference between triads and seventh chords?
- A triad has three notes (C–E–G). A seventh chord adds one more note a third above (C–E–G–B = Cmaj7). Seventh chords are common in jazz, bossa nova, R&B and city pop; triads are common in pop, rock and folk.
- Why are some keys written with sharps and others with flats?
- Each key is spelled the way that needs the fewest accidentals. Db major is written with five flats; writing the same key as C# major would need seven sharps, so Db is the standard spelling. The key buttons in the tool above are named by pitch, so they show C# and Ab — if you pick C# there, read the Db major row in this table.
- Can I use chords that are not in the table?
- Yes. Chords outside the key are called non-diatonic chords — borrowed chords are the best-known kind — and they are what makes many songs memorable. The table tells you where home is, so you know when you are leaving it.
What is the Chord Finder?
OtoTheory's Chord Finder is a free online tool that shows you all the diatonic chords in any key and scale. Select a key (C, D, E, etc.) and a scale type (Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, or Lydian), and instantly see every chord that naturally fits. Visualize chord shapes on the guitar fretboard and see the notes on the keyboard.
How to Use It
Choose your key from the key selector. Pick a scale type from 8 available options. The tool instantly displays all diatonic chords with their Roman numeral degrees (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°). Tap any chord to see its shape on the guitar fretboard and its notes on the keyboard. Use the results to build chord progressions in the Chord Progression Builder.
Who is it for?
Guitarists and keyboard players looking up chords in a specific key. Songwriters finding which chords work together. Music theory students learning about diatonic harmony and scale degrees. Anyone wanting to understand why certain chords sound good together.
Ready to hear your chords? Try the Chord Progression Builder to play them with grooves.