A Minor Chord Progression Chart

A Minor Chord Progression Chart

Map A minor Roman numerals, chord names, and cadence feel into a clean chart that is ready for songwriting or practice.

🎸 Quick Presets
📖 Chart Inputs

Use the A minor chart presets, then compare Roman numerals, chord names, and cadences before the loop gets crowded.

Progression
I - V - vi - IV
Bar loop summary
Key center
A minor
Sounding key
Capo / shapes
Capo 0
Open shapes in A
Tempo / feel
112 BPM
Straight 4/4
📊 Progression Chart
BarRomanChordFunction
📈 Minor Color Snapshot
A C E
A minor tonic
The home triad defines the center.
Use it to anchor every loop.
Strong in both triads and sevenths.
G#
Leading tone
Appears in harmonic and melodic minor.
Creates a stronger pull to A.
Great for final cadences.
C major
Relative major
Shares the same note pool with A minor.
Useful for bright contrast.
Common in chorus lifts.
i-VI-VII
Open minor loop
A flexible frame for verses and hooks.
Lets the harmony breathe.
Easy to stretch to 8 or 16 bars.
📑 Common Progressions
PatternStyleBest BarsUse Case
i-VI-III-VIIPop lift4Big chorus hooks
i-bVII-bVI-bVIIAndalusian4Driving vamp motion
i-VI-IV-vFolk fall4Verse flow
i-iv-v-iDark close4Ballad release
i-ii°-V-iHarmonic4Strong turnback
i-bVII-IV-iRock drive4Riff-based loop
i-VI-IV-bVIICinematic8Wide score bed
i-IV-i-bVIIDorian color4Modal lift
📝 Degree to Chord Map
DegreeNatural minorHarmonic minorMelodic minor
iAmAmAm(maj7)
iiBdimBdimBm
IIICCaugCaug
ivDmDmD
V / vEmEE7
VIFFF#dim
VIIGG#dimG#dim
🎸 A Minor Shape Map
CapoOpen shapesSounding keyCommon use
0Play in keySame keyFull fretboard voicings
1One fret down+1 semitoneEasy key lift
2Two frets down+2 semitonesOpen C/D shapes
3Three down+3 semitonesBright top strings
5Five down+5 semitonesA minor and relative major songs
7Seven down+7 semitonesHigh register sparkle
Tip: Keep the first and last chords close when you want a A minor loop that feels stable on guitar, especially for verses and practice jams.
Tip: Use the chart table to compare A minor shapes, then rehearse the cadence before you lock the loop.

A chord progression charts is a representation of the tension of the chords within a song as well as the release of that tension through the resolution of those chords to different chords within the song. A chord progression chart allow a person to arrange the chords of a song that are written in a minor key. Although the chords create when a person plays songs in a minor key tend to circle back to themselves without resolution, a chord progression chart provide structure to creating songs that do experience that resolution.

Furthermore, a chord progression chart allow a person to plan the chords for a song in such a way that the song dont drag. The A minor scale can be played in a variety of different ways and can have a variety of different sounds create from each of those variations. The natural minor scale use the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale use a G# in place of the G note, creating tension between that chord and the tonic of A minor.

How chord charts help minor key songs

The Dorian mode use a different set of notes from those in the natural minor scale, and sounds more bright than songs using only the natural minor scale. Certain chord pattern or presets can help a musician to find the perfect musical feel for a particular song. For instance, the pop lift pattern use a sequence of chords of i-VI-III-VII, but also use major chords borrow from the C major scale to create an additional sense of energy to the song.

The Andalusian pattern use a chord progression of i-bVII-bVI chords and create a sense of urgency due to there downward movement within the chord progression. The fall pattern in the folk music genre use a chord progression of i-VI-IV-v chords that descends in pitch, creating a chord progression that is suitable for storytelling. Each of these chord progression patterns use specific rules that musician can follow to create a musical loop.

Cadence is a term that describe the way that a musical phrase end. Cadence is important to contribute to a sense of stability within a song. For instance, a V-i cadence use an E major chord and an A minor chord.

Due to the G# within the E major chord, the cadence provide a strong sense of resolution when the chord sequence resolve to the tonic A minor chord. Another example of a cadence is the v-i cadence that use an E minor chord and an A minor chord. The v-i cadence generally feel gentler than the V-i cadence.

To create a sense of stability within a song, a musician should end a musical phrase on the i chord or the V chord. However, to create a sense of open-endedness within a song, the musician should end on the bVII chord to keep the listener in the song, waiting for the resolution of the chord progression. A capo is a device that a musician clamps onto the neck of a guitar.

When a musician places a capo onto a guitar, the pitch of the guitar can be changed without changing the way in which a musician plays the guitar. For instance, if a musician places a capo on the fifth fret of a guitar, the musician may play chords that are in the key of D minor but the sound of the guitar will be that of a song in the key of A minor. Furthermore, when a musician places a capo on a guitar, the voicing of the guitar will sound brighter.

Additionally, the use of a capo allow for the voicings of the guitar to more easy be within the vocal range of the vocalist for that song. Finally, the tempo of a song also contribute to the chord progression of a song. Fast tempo create a sense of energy within the song, while slow tempo create a sense of weight within the song.

There are some common mistake that many individual tend to make when using chord progressions within a band setting. For instance, musicians may use too many chord change within an eight-bar section of music. Instead, four-bar section can be used to allow for the music to breathe.

Additionally, another mistake that individuals may make is ignoring the use of mode swaps. Different mode can be used within a band to create a narrative within the song. For instance, the Dorian mode can be used for the verses of a song to create a sense of lift to the song, but the harmonic minor mode can be used for the chorus to create a sense of tension within the music.

A chord progression chart allow individual musicians to simplify the songwriting process. For instance, musicians can use a chord progression chart to decide how their song will move from chord to chord prior to beginning to play the song. Furthermore, by listening to the musical loop that they create, the musicians can determine whether they succeed in hooking the listener to the song, or if their song provide a sense of resolution to the listener.

Thus, a chord progression chart is a tool that enable the musician to manage the tension and the resolution of their song composed in a minor key.

A Minor Chord Progression Chart

Leave a Comment