Minor chords are pretty simple, if you already know your major chords.
You just take the 3rd degree of your major chord and lower it a half step.
(Half steps are from key to key with no keys in between.)
So if the C major chord is C+E+G, first figure out what the third degree is (because that same chord can be written as “G+C+E” or “E+G+C” so it’s not always the middle note in the chord… it’s the THIRD tone of the scale) — then you just lower it a half step.
C major scale:
C D E F G A B C
“E” is the third tone of the scale, therefore it is the tone that we lower one half step (regardless of where it appears in the chord).
C+E+G now becomes C+Eb+G (root inversion)
E+G+C now becomes Eb+G+C (first inversion)
G+C+E now becomes G+C+Eb (second inversion)
Get it?
C major: C+E+G
C minor: C+Eb+G
F major: F+A+C
F minor: F+Ab+C
Bb major: Bb+D+F
Bb minor: Bb+Db+F
Eb major: Eb+G+Bb
Eb minor: Eb+Gb+Bb
Ab major: Ab+C+Eb
G# minor: G#+B+D#
(Here, it is easier to switch to G# minor, which is the enharmonic equivalent of Ab. You will see me switching to the sharp keys sometimes as they are more common when playing in minor keys unless you want to think of “Ab minor” as Ab+Cb+Eb. yup… I thought so, hehe)
Db major: Db+F+Ab
C# minor: C#+E+G#
Gb major: Gb+Bb+Db
F# minor: F#+A+C#
B major: B+D#+F#
B minor: B+D+F#
E major: E+G#+B
E minor: E+G+B
A major: A+C#+E
A minor: A+C+E
D major: D+F#+A
D minor: D+F+A
G major: G+B+D
G minor: G+Bb+D
There you have it! A quick course on minor chords
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July 13th, 2009 (comment#1)
Sir
Im so greatful for ur post . They are helping me a lot. I am still a beginner .