Minor Tonality

Diatonic Chord and Diatonic Scale

  • Natural Minor Scale

    Im7Natural Minor
    IIøLocrian
    bIIIΔ7Major
    IVm7Dorian
    Vm7Phrygian
    bVIΔ7Lydian
    bVII7Mixolydian
  • Harmonic Minor Scale

    ImΔ71,2,b3,4,5,b6,7
    IIø1,b2,b3,4,b5,6,b7
    bIIIΔ7(#5)1,2,3,4,#5,6,7
    IVm71,2,b3,#4,5,6,b7
    V71,b2,3,4,5,b6,b7
    bVIΔ71,#2,3,#4,5,6,7
    VIIo71,b2,b3,3,b5,b6,6
  • Melodic Minor Scale

    ImΔ71,2,b3,4,5,6,7
    IIm71,b2,b3,4,5,6,b7
    bIIIΔ7(#5)1,2,3,#4,#5,6,7
    IV71,2,3,#4,5,6,7
    V71,2,3,4,5,b6,7
    VIø1,2,b3,4,b5,b6,b7
    VIIø1,b2,b3,3,b5,b6,b7

Diatonic Chord Function

  • Tonic Minor (Tm)

    Im6 (Im9, ImΔ7), VIø, bIII6 (bIIIΔ7)

  • Sub-Dominant Minor (SDm)

    IVm7 (Im6, Im9), IIø, bVIΔ7 (bIV6), bVII7

  • Dominant Minor (Dm)

    Vm7

  • Dominant (D)

    V7, VIIo7

Classification By Frequency Of Use

  • Common Chord : The chord used frequently

    ImΔ7, IIø, bIIIΔ7, IVm7, V7, bVIΔ7, bVII7

  • Alternate Chord : The chord used less frequently than the common chord

    Im7, IIm7, bIIIΔ7(#5), IV7, Vm7, VIø, VIIIo

Parent Scale

  • Common Chord

    ChordParent2nd Parent
    ImΔ7MmHm
    IIøNmHm
    bIIIΔ7Nm
    IVm7NmHm
    V7HmMm
    bVIΔ7NmHm
    bVII7Nm
  • Alternate Chord

    ChordParent2nd Parent
    Im7Nm
    IIm7Mm
    bIIIΔ7(#5)MmHm
    IV7Mm
    Vm7Mm
    VIøMm
    VIIo7Hm