Key · minor
The key of D Minor
D Minor has 1 flat (B♭). Its scale is D E F G A B♭ C. The seven chords built on those degrees are i Dm, ii° Edim, III F, iv Gm, v Am, VI B♭ and VII C; the dominant is Am and the subdominant Gm. Its relative major is F Major and its parallel major is D Major.
The scale on the keyboard
Fingering for both hands, the step pattern and the other forms are on the D Natural Minor scale page.
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from the tonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Tonic | Unison |
| 2 | E | Supertonic | Major 2nd |
| 3 | F | Mediant | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | G | Subdominant | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | A | Dominant | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | B♭ | Submediant | Minor 6th |
| 7 | C | Subtonic | Minor 7th |
Chords in D Minor
One chord on each degree of the scale. The dominant is Am and the subdominant Gm.
| Numeral | Triad | Quality | Seventh |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Minor | Dm7 |
| ii° | Edim | Diminished | Em7♭5 |
| III | F | Major | Fmaj7 |
| iv | Gm | Minor | Gm7 |
| v | Am | Minor | Am7 |
| VI | B♭ | Major | B♭maj7 |
| VII | C | Major | C7 |
Chord functions
| Function | Chords |
|---|---|
| Tonic | i · III · VI |
| Subdominant | ii° · iv |
| Dominant | v · VII · V (harmonic) |
Common progressions in D Minor
| Progression | Chords | Level |
|---|---|---|
| i – iv – v | Dm – Gm – Am | Easy |
| i – iv – V | Dm – Gm – A | Easy |
| i – VI – III – VII | Dm – B♭ – F – C | Easy |
| i – VII – VI – VII | Dm – C – B♭ – C | Easy |
| i – VII – VI – V | Dm – C – B♭ – A | Medium |
| i – VI – iv – V | Dm – B♭ – Gm – A | Medium |
| i – iv – VII – III | Dm – Gm – C – F | Medium |
| i – III – VII – iv | Dm – F – C – Gm | Medium |
| i – iv – i – V | Dm – Gm – Dm – A | Medium |
| i – IV – i – V | Dm – G – Dm – A | Hard |
| ii° – V – i | Edim – A – Dm | Hard |
| iiø7 – V7 – im7 | Em7♭5 – A7 – Dm7 | Hard |
| 12-Bar Minor Blues | Dm – Dm – Dm – Dm – Gm – Gm – Dm – Dm – B♭ – A – Dm – A | Hard |
The other keys
Part of the key reference. See also the chords and the scales.