Chord Families 101 – A Detailed Guide

Chord families are a fundamental concept in music theory, particularly for instruments like the guitar and piano. They provide a framework for understanding how chords relate to each other within a particular key, and can greatly simplify the process of writing and analyzing music.
In this article, we are going to explore what chord families are and how you can use them to improve your music.

So, without wasting any further time, let’s get started.

What are Chord Families?

A chord family is a group of chords that are derived from the same scale. For example, if we consider the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B), we can build a family of chords from each note in the scale. 

These chords will all share a common tonality because they are constructed from the same set of notes.

Types of Chords in a Family:

Chord families are groups of chords that are derived from the same scale. They are fundamental to understanding how chords relate to each other within a particular key. 

There are three basic types of chords in each family: major, minor, and diminished.

Major Chords:

Major chords are built on the first (tonic), fourth (subdominant), and fifth (dominant) degrees of a scale. They have a bright and happy sound. A major chord consists of a root note, a major third, and a perfect fifth. 

For example, in the key of C major, the major chords would be C major, F major, and G major.

Minor Chords:

Minor chords are built on the second (supertonic), third (mediant), and sixth (submediant) degrees of a scale. They have a darker and sadder sound compared to major chords.

A minor chord consists of a root note, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. In the key of C major, the minor chords would be D minor, E minor, and A minor.

Diminished Chords:

A diminished chord is built on the seventh degree (leading tone) of a scale. It has a tense and unstable sound. 

A diminished chord consists of a root note, a minor third, and a diminished fifth. In the key of C major, the diminished chord would be B diminished.

Each of these chords has its own unique sound and function within the key, but they all work together harmoniously because they are part of the same family. Understanding chord families can open up new possibilities for creating and understanding music. 

By knowing which chords belong together in a key, you can create progressions that sound pleasing to the ear and convey a wide range of emotions.

Chord Families Chart:

Here is a detailed look at the chord families chart:

Key	I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viii
C Major	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	B⁰
G major	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F#⁰
D Major	D	Em	F#m	G	A	Bm	C#⁰
A Major	A	Bm	C#m	D	E	F#m	G#⁰
E Major	E	F#m	G#m	A	B	C#m	D#⁰
B Major	B	C#m	D#m	E	F#	G#m	A#⁰
F# Major	F#	G#m	A#m	B	C#	D#m	E#⁰
F Major	F	Gm	Am	Bb	C	Dm	C⁰
Bb Major	Bb	Cm	Dm	Eb	F	Gm	A⁰
Eb Major	Eb	Fm	Gm	Ab	Bb	Cm	D⁰
Ab Major	Ab	Bbm	Cm	Db	Eb	Fm	G⁰
Db Major	Db	Ebm	Fm	Gb	Ab	Bbm	C⁰
Gb Major	Gb	Abm	Bbm	Cb	Db	Ebm	F⁰
Cb Major	Cb	Ebm	Fb	Gb	Abm	Abm	Bb⁰

Chord Families in Practice:

Let’s take a closer look at the C major chord family as an example. The C major scale consists of the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. From these notes, we can build seven different chords:

• C Major (C-E-G): This is the I chord (tonic) in the key of C major.

• D Minor (D-F-A): This is the ii chord (supertonic) in the key of C major.

• E Minor (E-G-B): This is the iii chord (mediant) in the key of C major.

• F Major (F-A-C): This is the IV chord (subdominant) in the key of C major.

• G Major (G-B-D): This is the V chord (dominant) in the key of C major.

• A Minor (A-C-E): This is the vi chord (submediant) in the key of C major.

• B Diminished (B-D-F): This is the vii° chord (leading tone) in the key of C major.

Each of these chords has its unique sound and function within the key, but they all work together harmoniously because they are part of the same family.

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Chord Progressions:

Chord progressions are a series of chords played in sequence. They form the harmonic foundation of a piece of music. Understanding chord families can help you create compelling chord progressions.

In Western music, certain progressions tend to appear more frequently due to their pleasing sound. 

For example, one common progression is the I-IV-V progression. In the key of C major, this would be C Major – F Major – G Major.

Another common progression is ii-V-I, which in C major would be D minor – G Major – C Major. This progression is particularly common in jazz music.

Modulation and Chord Families

Modulation is the process of changing from one key to another within a piece of music. 

Understanding chord families can be very helpful when modulating, as it allows you to smoothly transition from one key to another.

For example, if you’re playing in the key of C major and want to modulate to G major, you could use a D-dominant 7th chord (which is part of both keys) as a pivot chord to facilitate a smooth transition.

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Conclusion:

Chord families are quite important for understanding and creating music. By knowing how chords relate to each other within a key, you can create beautiful and compelling music.

Whether you’re a beginner, or just starting out or an experienced guitarist, exploring chord families can open up new possibilities for you.

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References:

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2. Suzuki M. et al. Discrete cortical regions associated with the musical beauty of major and minor chords //Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience. – 2008. – Т. 8. – С. 126-131.
3. Bakker D. R., Martin F. H. Musical chords and emotion: Major and minor triads are processed for emotion //Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience. – 2015. – Т. 15. – С. 15-31.
4. Sheh A., Ellis D. P. W. Chord segmentation and recognition using EM-trained hidden Markov models. – 2003.
5. Mukherjee H. et al. Deep learning-based music chord family identification //Intelligent Computing and Communication: Proceedings of 3rd ICICC 2019, Bangalore 3. – Springer Singapore, 2020. – С. 175-184.