Have you ever tried to figure out the chords to a song and become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of chords available to you?
And have you noticed that some chords sound better together than others?
Although any chord can be followed by any other chord, some combinations make more sense.
That's because guitar chords are related to one another by key or family.
All the chords in a chord family will sound good together because all the notes contained in them belong to the same scale.
But how do we know what chords go with which family?
1. There are different types of chords in every family
A common mistake when learning how to play guitar is thinking that all of the chords in a major scale are major chords, and all the chords in a minor scale are minor chords.
This isn't true.
There are three types of chords in a family—a major, a minor and a diminished.
You can use the Circle of Fifths to learn these chord types in each key very easily.
Keep reading for a more in-depth look at how each chord type is organized within a key/family.
2. Musical alphabet
The letters in the musical alphabet run from A through G then circle back around to A, where the cycle begins again.
You can start at any letter in the musical alphabet and go around the seven letters until you arrive back to the letter where you began.
For exapmle, the musical alphabet of C will be C, D, E, F, G, A, B.
The musical alphabet of E will be E, F, G, A, B, C, D
The trick is to combine the concepts from step 1 and step 2.
3. Musical scales
A scale contains the seven notes of the musical alphabet.
Each scale degree is numbered 1-7.
For simplicity's sake, let's work in the key of C, which is one of the most common and easiest keys to play in as it uses all natural notes (no sharps or flats).
The C major scale looks like this:
Scale degree: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Note name: C D E F G A B
Each of these chord root notes is within the C Family.
If you'd like to go deeper into scales, check out this guitar scale finder.
But it's not as simple as playing each of these chords as major chords.
4. Roman Numerals
There's a major/minor system for playing chords within a family.
This can be easily shown through the use of Roman Numerals.
Let's assign a corresponding major or minor (upper case and lower case) Roman numeral for each scale degree in the key of C:
Scale degree: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Note name: C D E F G A B
Roman numeral: I ii iii IV V vi viii°
The uppercase numerals represent major chords and the lowercase, minor chords.
(The degree symbol after the 7th chord indicates a diminished chord).
Take a crack at our chord finder to learn these chords in more depth.
Pro Tip: In a major key, the 1st, 4th and 5th chord degrees are always major. While the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees are always minor. The 7th is alwayd diminished.
5. Name that key
The first note of any scale not only serves as the name of that scale, but also as the name of a key and therefore the root chord.
Key signatures are like a rule book that tell us which notes belong together and as a result, which chords do as well.
When you know the key, you can build out all the other chords that will sound good with it.
6. Identify all the major chords in the key
To identify all major chords in the key, use the above example as your roadmap:
Scale degree: 1 4 5
Note name: C F G
Roman numeral: I IV V
In any major key, there are three major chords that really hold it all together.
These are the I, IV, and V chords.
These are some of the most powerful and popular chords in music, and knowing them will help you play hundreds of easy guitar songs.
With this formula, you can do this with any key, and we'll show you how to do this.
7. Identify all the minor chords in the key
Let's do the same with the minor chords:
Scale degree: 2 3 6 7
Note name: D E A B
Roman numeral: ii iii vi viii°
These are ii (Dm), iii (Em), and vi (Am).
We'll include the 7th, diminished, as well, since a diminished chord is also minor.
And there you have your chords for the key of C.
These are essential chords every beginner guitarist should know. And if you add them to your major chords, you’ll have everything you need for most pop and rock chord progressions.
8. Apply this method to other keys
Once you’ve got the hang of building chords in the key of C, you can do the exact same thing for any key.
Just start with the major scale for that root note and apply the same I-IV-V and ii-iii-vi structure.
For example, in G major, your chords would be:
I = G
IV = C
V = D
ii = A minor
iii = B minor
vi = E minor
With practice, transposing to different keys will become second nature.
This is super useful when you're playing with a singer who needs the song in a different key.
9. How many chord families are there?
There are 12 total keys in music, which means there are 12 different chord families—one for each note of the chromatic scale: A, Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, and Ab.
But when it comes to guitar-friendly keys, some are more comfortable than others.
The most playable keys on guitar are C, A, G, E, and D.
These are known as the CAGED guitar system, and they’re a core part of learning guitar chords and scales all over the neck.
10. You can use chords outside the family
Chord theory for keys holds in most situations.
However, rules are made to be broken.
Things can get pretty dull if you use the same chords over and over and over again, like the I-V-vi-IV cycle (C-G-Am-F in the key of C).
An out-of-key chord thrown into an otherwise normal progression can add interest to a song.
Let your melody lead you, and let the chords back them up.
By Kathy Dickson for Guitar Tricks
FAQ
What are the 12 family chords?
The 12 family chords usually refer to the primary major and minor chords found in each key—so for example, in the key of C major, you'd use C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and sometimes Bdim. Multiply that across the 12 keys and you've got a group of essential guitar chords that show up in thousands of songs. Learning these helps build your chord vocabulary fast.
What are guitar chord families?
Guitar chord families are groups of chords that naturally occur together in a given key. For example, in the key of G, the chord family includes G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, and F#dim. They’re super useful when you’re learning how to play guitar chords that sound good together.
What are the 4 magic chords?
The 4 magic chords are C, G, Am, and F—they’re used in tons of popular songs across different genres. You’ll hear them in everything from classic rock to pop to country, making them a top pick for beginner guitar players to learn first.
What 7 chords should every guitar player know?
Every guitarist should know the open major and minor chords: C, A, G, E, D, Am, and Em. These basic guitar chords are the foundation of countless songs and will have you playing real music fast.
What is the 7 chord rule?
The 7 chord rule refers to the diatonic chords in a key—basically, the 7 chords that naturally occur. These include 3 major chords, 3 minor chords, and 1 diminished chord. Knowing this helps you figure out chord progressions in any key.
How do guitarists remember all the chords?
Most guitarists memorize chords through muscle memory and repetition—the more you play them in real songs, the easier it gets. Using chord charts and playing easy guitar songs also helps lock them in.
What is the 3 chord trick guitar?
The 3 chord trick is using just three basic chords—typically the I, IV, and V chords in a key—to play an entire song. It’s a great trick for beginners and shows up in lots of popular guitar songs like “Wild Thing” or “Louie Louie.”
What is the fastest way to memorize guitar chords?
The fastest way to memorize guitar chords is to practice them daily in context, like playing simple songs that use just a few chords. Repeating transitions between chords and using visual chord diagrams can speed up your learning big time.
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