Definition

What are Diatonic Chords?

The chords that fit in a Key are called Diatonic Chords.

  • a Key is a collection of notes used in a song
  • a Chord is a group of notes played together (in this case Major, Minor and Diminished chords)
  • Diatonic Chords are those that are derived using only the notes in the Key

Choose a Key below to see the Diatonic Chords of that Key.




C
C#D♭
D
D#E♭
E
F
F#G♭
G
G#A♭
A
A#B♭
B

F Major Diatonic Chords

Major
Minor


Chord
Full Name
Notes
I.
F
F Major
FAC
ii.
Gm
G Minor
GB♭D
iii.
Am
A Minor
ACE
IV.
B♭
B♭ Major
B♭DF
V.
C
C Major
CEG
vi.
Dm
D Minor
DFA
vii°.
Edim
E Diminished
EGB♭
F
0
Gm
3
Am
0
B♭
0
C
0
Dm
0
Edim
7
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
Gm
Am
B♭
C
Dm
Edim

What can I do with Diatonic Chords?

Diatonic Chords are the building blocks of chord progressions. Learning these patterns will enable you to play thousands of popular songs as well as write your own music. Diatonic chords can also help you find chords that sound good with a song. If you know what key your song is in you can look up its Diatonic Chords above.

Try it yourself! Choose a Key you're comfortable with above. Then, using the roman numerals on the left, play the progression: I–V–vi–IV. This is the most popular progression in western music!


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