Minor-Key Harmony in Depth

The idea

Harmonize the natural minor scale the same way you harmonized major and you get the diatonic chords of a minor key.

Degree	i	ii°	♭III	iv	v	♭VI	♭VII
In A minor	Am	Bdim	C	Dm	Em	F	G
In E minor	Em	F♯dim	G	Am	Bm	C	D

Why the flats in the numerals? In this course, numerals are measured against the major scale of the same tonic. In A minor the third chord is built on C, a lowered 3rd compared with A major, so it is ♭III. This way a numeral always means the same distance from the tonic, in major and in minor. Some books write III, VI and VII for minor keys and mean the same chords.

These are the same chords as the relative major key, renamed from a new home. C major and A minor share one family. The difference is which chord everything revolves around.

The three major chords of minor: ♭III, ♭VI and ♭VII. They are the heart of rock and metal harmony. All three are major, so they work as power chords without any conflict, and they sit close to the tonic on the neck.

The dominant problem. The natural v chord is minor (Em in A minor). It has no leading tone, so it pulls home weakly. Harmonic minor fixes this by raising the 7th, which turns v into V (E major, or E7). In practice, minor-key music uses both:

Chord	Sound	Use it when
v (minor)	Modal, dark, floating	You want the mood to continue without a strong cadence
V (major)	Classical, dramatic, final	You want a clear arrival on i
♭VII	Rock. Open, strong, no leading tone	You want to approach i from below without drama

Compare the three approaches to the tonic:

The progressions that define minor-key rock:

Progression	In A minor	Sound and examples
i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII	Am – G – F – G	The Aeolian rock loop: “All Along the Watchtower”
i – ♭VI – ♭III – ♭VII	Am – F – C – G	The minor pop-rock loop: “Zombie”, “Numb”
♭VI – ♭VII – i	F – G – Am	The Aeolian cadence. Rising whole steps into the tonic: the epic metal arrival
i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V	Am – G – F – E	The Andalusian cadence: “Hit the Road Jack”, “Sultans of Swing”, flamenco
i – iv – V	Am – Dm – E	The classical minor lament
i – ♭II	Em – F	The Phrygian vamp: thrash and death metal
iiø7 – V7 – i	Bm7♭5 – E7 – Am	The minor ii–V–i, the jazz and ballad cadence

On your instrument

The power-chord map of a minor key. In E minor every root you need sits on the two lowest strings, inside the first five frets:

Numeral	i	♭III	iv	v	♭VI	♭VII
Power chord	E5	G5	A5	B5	C5	D5
Root	6:0	6:3	5:0	5:2	5:3	5:5

The 5th of each chord is on the next string, two frets higher. Most minor-key riffs are a walk between these six roots. Move the whole map up five frets and you have A minor.

Hear the raised 7th. Play Am – E – Am, then Am – Em – Am. The only note that changes is G♯ against G. That single half step is the whole difference between “classical” and “modal”.

Worked example

The outro solo section of “Stairway to Heaven” loops Am – G – F – G: i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII. There is no V chord anywhere, so the music never reaches a classical full stop. It rolls forward, and that is why it can carry a long solo.

Now change one chord: Am – G – F – E. The last chord contains G♯, the leading tone. The loop now leans hard into its own beginning. This is the Andalusian cadence, and the mood shifts from rock epic to flamenco and Dire Straits.

One chord, one note, a different genre. In minor keys, the choice between ♭VII, v and V is the main expressive decision.

Exercises

1. Write the diatonic chords with numerals for E, A, B, F♯ and D minor. Add the major V of each key.
2. Play i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII and i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V in E minor and in A minor with power chords. For the V, play the full major chord or add the 3rd on top.
3. Write an 8-bar verse in E minor that never uses V, then an 8-bar chorus that ends with V – i. Feel the difference in how each section closes.
4. Take a song you know in a minor key. Find every V or v chord and note which one the writer chose.

Common mistakes

• Using V everywhere in minor. The major V is a strong spice. Much of rock avoids it completely and gets its power from ♭VI and ♭VII.
• Mixing up relative major and minor. Am – F – C – G can be in A minor or C major. Decide by ear which chord is home, and write the numerals from that chord.

Check yourself