Minor Chord Chart — Piano
All 12 minor chords · plus m7, m6, m9 and more · tap one to light the keys and hear it
How to play
- A minor chord is three notes: the root, the note 3 semitones above (a minor 3rd), and the note 7 semitones above the root (perfect 5th) — the 1 – ♭3 – 5 of the scale.
- A minor chord is a major chord with the middle note lowered one semitone. That single change is the whole difference between bright and sad.
- Tap a chord in the grid to highlight its three keys and hear it. The amber key is the root.
- Tap any key to hear that single note. Play repeats the chord; Roll arpeggiates it; Play all 12 sweeps through every major chord.
- Chords are spelled the correct way for each key (e.g. E♭m = E♭ G♭ B♭, not F♯ …).
- Keyboard: Tab to a chord or control, Enter/Space to activate. Keys scroll sideways on small screens.
This clever interactive chart allows you to explore all the minor chord available on the piano at once.
There are two options for interacting with this chart. You can play the notes using your computer keyboard for a more tactile approach, or you could just click on the chords and keys directly with the mouse. It show which keys is being played so you know exactly what makes up each chord structure.
How to Use the Interactive Minor Chord Chart
Twelve standard minor chords is represented on the main grid with each button selecting that chord and playing it for you. Below this is a diagram of the piano with lights on the keys showing you the root note together with the minor third and fifth of the selected chord. This provide some visual feedback so you know what the chord looks like on the piano.
If you wish to change the quality of the chord there are buttons above labelled Quality which include options for basic minor, minor seventh, minor sixth, minor ninth, diminished and minor seventh flat five. Each of these changes will updates the chord grid and the piano keys to represent the changed note intervals.
You can play the piano on this website too! Pressing any key, both black and white, will play that note. It’s a great way to practise playing one note at a time or check whether a particular note will fit harmony. To highlight the tonic (root) note of whatever chord is being played, we have set it to be shown in amber. Other tones from the chord is shown in green.
If you’d rather play it using your computer keyboard then that is possible too. Use the Spacebar or Enter key to press buttons. Use the tab keys to move around the controls and chord button. It makes the widget fully responsive and accessible without needing a mouse.
Several playback controls sits above the chord grid. The Play button plays the chord as a block harmony (repeating it). The Roll button play the chord notes one by one from lowest to highest. This lets you hear how individual notes fit together. The Play All button cycles through each of the twelve minor chords in the chosen quality. It lets you hear what each key sounds like quickly. This allow you to compare them different than clicking each button individually.
You can adjust volume slider to get the sound level right for where you’re listening.
If you’re not sure what’s going on with the highlighting or maybe you want to know how the widget works, then there’s a short help panel available from the How to Play button. These tips also remind me of the differences in chord qualities.
The Fullscreen button takes the widget right to full size of your screen. Not only does this provide some breathing room around the keyboard but it also allow you to read the note names well. This is especially helpful on smaller screens when you may find the keys feel cramped together. Above the keyboard, it displays the exact enharmonic spelling of each key. So for some of the chords, instead of being an F sharp it will display as G flat. Getting these details right solidifies good music theory notation learning while practicing.
Play around with various types of chord quality over one root to maximize the use of this tool. You’ll hear the emotional colour shift as you add a sixth or seventh to the minor triad. Practice using the Roll option to run through the notes sequentially. It develop finger independence and helps you internalize the scale positions. Hide the help panel if you’re trying to learn it by heart and play the chords from memory before clicking the button to reveal whether you’ve got them right.
The widget will respond immediately, so you can explore whatever combination you like. It is a visual guide alongside an audio tool. A connection based off what a chord chart looks like to how it sounds. The interface is intuitive for everyone. It works whether you’re just starting out and want to find your minor third or you’re more advanced and need to check your voicings.
Take some time, toggle the controls and click around on the keys. Before long you’ll get a feel for how the minor chords relate to each other throughout the keyboard. Listen to the difference each makes and start exploring today.