MINOR Chord (M): 1-b3-5
WHAT'S IT SOUND LIKE?--Some Easy Open Forms:
Am Dm Em
x o o x x o o o o o
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | [1] | | | | | | [1] | | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | [2][3] | | | | | [2] | | | [2][3] | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | | | | | | [3] | | | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
CHORD TABLE & SAMPLE VOICINGS
| Position I |
|
|
|
|
Position 2 |
|
|
|
|
Position 3 |
|
|
|
|
Position 4 |
|
|
|
|
Position 5 |
| | |
b3 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
1 |
| |
| |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
b3 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
b3 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
b3 |
| |
1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
| |
5 |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
5 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
b3 |
| |
| 1 |
| |
| |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
| |
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
b3 |
| |
1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
| |
5 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
b3 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
b3 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
b3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
b3 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | |
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
5 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
| |
5 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| b3 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
b3 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
b3 |
| |
1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
b3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
b3 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
1 |
| |
| |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
| | |
| |
| |
5 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
5 |
1 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
| Voicing Examples for Each Position
(non-bold #'s are optional!) |
| 1 |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
b3 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
- |
|
|
|
|
5 |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
- |
- |
| - |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
b3 |
- |
1 |
5 |
1 |
- |
|
|
|
|
- |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
- |
|
|
|
|
- |
1 |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
- |
5 |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
| - |
- |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
|
|
|
|
- |
1 |
- |
5 |
b3 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
- |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
| - |
- |
- |
b3 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
- |
5 |
1 |
b3 |
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
b3 |
- |
1 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
- |
1 |
b3 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
- |
b3 |
- |
1 |
5 |
1 |
- Most Common Uses
- vi, ii, iii; i, iv, v
- Important Homonym Relationships
- i (minor) =
-
bIIM9b5 (no root,3rd)
e.g.: Cm = DbM9b5 (no root,3rd)
II11b9(no root,3rd,5th)
e.g.: Cm = D11b9 (no root,3rd,5th)
bIIIM6 (no 5th)
e.g.: Cm = EbM6 (no 5th)
_iv_9 (no 3rd)
e.g.: Cm = F9 or Fm9 (3rd)
bVIM7 (no root)
e.g.: Cm = AbM7 (no root)
vi7b5 (no root)
e.g.: Cm = Am7b5 (no root)
VI7#9b5 (no root,3rd)
e.g.: Cm = A7#9b5 (no root, 3rd)
_bvii_13sus4 (no root,5th,b7th)
e.g.: Cm = Bb13sus4 (no root,5th,b7th)
VII+7b9 (no root,b7th)
e.g.: Cm = B+7b9 (no root,b7th)
- Further Notes
- Next to the major triad (and possibly the dominant seventh chord), the most
common chord in Western harmony, fit accompaniment to centuries of sad thoughts and
dark moods.... Note that a small-case roman numeral by itself represents a simple
minor chord (i = i minor).
Back to Chord Directory