Key of A minor
The key of A minor has no sharps or flats. Its natural minor scale runs A B C D E F G, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three minor chords, three major chords and one diminished chord. Home base is Am (i), flanked by Dm (iv) and Em (v); the majors C (III), F (VI) and G (VII) brighten the key, and B° (ii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative major: C major — the same seven chords, with C as home base.
The seven chords of A minor
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of A minor?
- The seven chords in the key of A minor are Am (i), B° (ii°), C (III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (VI) and G (VII).
- What is the relative major of A minor?
- C major. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — C major simply treats C, not Am, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does A minor have?
- None — A minor has no sharps or flats; its seven chords are built entirely from natural notes.