CHORD & SONGWRITING CHEAT SHEET

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2 - CHORD CHARTS

CHAPTER 3 - SONGWRITING CHEAT SHEETS

CHAPTER 4 - CONCLUSION

i
C HAPTER 1

Introduction
An overview and introduction to this comprehensive eBook and a
guide to the chord chart notation contained within this eBook.

• What’s In This eBook?

• Chord Chart Notation

2
WHAT ’ S IN THIS BOOK ?

What’s In This book?

Welcome to your very own Guitar Chord & Songwriting Cheat sheet.
“Success is like a snowball. It takes momentum
In this extremely handy and helpful value packed book, I’ll provide you with to build and the more you roll in the right
the most useful, beautiful, easy and straight-forward guitar chord charts
available anywhere. This valuable eBook will not only introduce you to 100’s direction, the bigger it gets.”
of the most useful and common guitar chords in existence, but it will also
guide you in knowing which chords to use together to create professionally
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced guitar player, the
flowing songwriting structures.
GuitarZero2Hero Chord & Songwriting Cheat Sheet will provide you
with the tools to create an endless collection of chord progressions and
The best part is that you don’t need to understand the encyclopedia of
songs.
music theory to begin implementing these techniques.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive advocate for music theory knowledge
So what’s inside this Chord & Songwriting Cheat Sheet?
and how much it can enhance your overall creativity and playing ability.
However, I am also a bigger believer in kinesthetic learning, otherwise known
CHORD CHARTS
as learning by “doing”. Wouldn’t you have so much more fun actually playing
• The Beginner Guitar Hero’s Essential Chord Chart
cool chord progressions and experimenting with what sounds cool as
• Movable Power Chords Chart
opposed to studying why it is the way it is on paper?
• Movable Chord Shapes Chart
• The Ultimate Chord Library
I know personally for myself when I was learning that this was the case. Self
experimentation, learning my favorite songs from my favorite artists and
SONGWRITING CHEAT SHEETS
studying how they structured their chords in songs was a massive part of my
• Major Songwriting Chord Maps In 7 Different Keys
guitar journey. I eventually learnt the musical theory behind everything which
• Minor Songwriting Chord Maps In 7 Different Keys
I still highly recommend. But just playing, experimenting and learning my
favorite riffs was by far, a much more rewarding and encouraging activity for
me as a guitarist and provided me with one of the most important things
when learning anything - Momentum.

3
CHORD CHART NOTATION

Chord Chart Notation

For new beginners out there, reading a chord chart might look like just a bunch of
lines and circles, thankfully reading a chord chart is not very difficult at all!
There’s just a few different things we need to keep in mind when reading chord
charts.

Let’s start with finger positioning - Each finger on your fretting hand is assigned a
number/letter. This is the same regardless of whether you are fretting the guitar
with your left or right hand.

Any circle with a number/letter designation on a chord chart simply means you will
need to push that particular string down on that particular fret with the designated
Figure 1. Fretting Hand Finger Designations
finger.

• 1 - Index finger.
• 2 - Middle Finger.
• 3 - Ring Finger.
• 4 - Pinky Finger.
• T - Thumb.

Visually, the chord charts shown in this eBook are a visual representation of 5 frets
of a guitar neck standing vertically as shown in Figure 2.
Therefore from left to right we have the thickest strings to thinnest strings
respectively. Simple!

Low E A D G B High e

Figure 2. Guitar Neck Figure 3. Blank Chord Chart

4
CHORD CHART NOTATION
Do not play this string Play this string open

Chord Chart Notation Nut of the guitar

Figures 4 and 5 show examples of chord charts that we will see later on in this
eBook. These charts have been annotated with the red arrows to further explain
Hold down the 3rd
what the different parts of the chord chart mean. fret of the A string
using your ring finger
The main items to note:
• An open circle above a string means that the open string should be played in that
chord. Do not mute it or push down on any fret of that string.
• A cross above a string means that we do not play this string in that particular
chord.
• The thick black line at the top of the chord chart in Figure 4 represents the nut Cmajor Chord name

of the guitar neck. Figure 5 does not have this black line, meaning that this chord Figure 4. Cmajor Chord Example
shape is further up the guitar neck.
• The “4f” note next to the chart chart in Figure 5 means that this chord shape
Barre these strings
begins at the 4th fret. with your index finger
• The thick white bar across Figure 5 indicates a barre chord - hold down all
strings along the white bar with the finger given in the white circles (for this 4th fret
example hold down 5 strings starting from the low A string on the 4th fret using
the index finger)

The concludes everything you need to know in order to be able to read a chord
chart!

C#minor
Figure 5. C#minor Chord Example

5
CHORD CHART NOTATION

Chord Chart Notation

Finally to avoid any confusion, we will run through some common abbreviations
you may come across when reading chords across different publications.
In this ebook we will provide full names underneath each chord shape to really
emphasize and help you learn the chord variants.

Below are the most common chord abbreviations.

A
Letter by itself - no suffix
A Major Major Chord

Am m suffix
A minor minor Chord

Am7 m7 suffix
A minor7 minor 7 Chord

Amaj7 maj7 suffix

A Major7 major 7 Chord

A dim dim suffix

A° A diminished diminished Chord

A aug aug suffix

A+ A augmented
augmented Chord

6
GUITARZERO2HERO

7
C HAPTER 2

Chord Charts
The most useful set of Guitar Chord Charts available!

• The Beginner Guitar Hero’s Essential Chord Chart

• Movable Power Chord Shapes Chart
• Movable Barre Chord Shapes Chart
• The Ultimate Chord Library

8
THE BEGINNER GUITAR HERO ’ S ESSENTIAL CHORD CHART

The Beginner Guitar Hero’s Essential Chord Chart

The chord chart on the following page provides you with the 16 most essential
chords shapes that EVERY guitarist should know, along with real life photo’s of how
they should look. These are the chords that over my 14 years of playing and
teaching experience appear in more songs than any other chords.

If you’re a beginner, study this, print it out, stick it on your bathroom door, stick it
beside your bed, stick it on your fridge door, hell stick it anywhere you’ll be able to
see it daily! There will be 2 versions of these charts

• The first with photos

• The second without photos

Once you’ve learnt the 16 chords on the next page you’ve basically learnt the
guitar chord shapes used in roughly 60-80% of any song you’ve ever heard!

Want proof? If you’ve watched my YouTube video tutorials, you’ll notice that
90-95% of the songs I teach use the chords on the next page with the use of a
capo.

Pretty amazing when you think about it isn’t it? That’s some pretty good bang for
your buck if you ask me!

9
THE BEGINNER GUITAR HERO ’ S ESSENTIAL CHORD CHART

A Major A7 A minor A minor7

B7 B minor C Major C add9

D Major D minor D sus2 D sus4

E Major E minor F Major G Major

10
THE BEGINNER GUITAR HERO ’ S ESSENTIAL CHORD CHART

A Major A7 A minor A minor7 B7 B minor

C Major C add9 D Major D minor

D sus2 D sus4 E Major E minor F Major G Major

11
MOVABLE POWER CHORD SHAPES CHART

Movable Power Chord Shapes Chart

What are power chords you may ask? Power chords are perhaps the most There are 2 power chord shapes that we can use. The choice of which to use is a
common chord shape used in contemporary rock and roll. Name any famous rock matter of personal preference as they both essentially achieve the same thing.
band or rock song and more likely than not, they will feature a power chord Let’s review the 2 power chord shapes found on the next page.
somewhere. Bands like Blink 182, Greenday, Guns N’ Roses & Metallica have the
majority of their songs played with power chords. Power Chord Shape 1
• Contains 2 notes.
Musically speaking, power chords are abbreviations of full chords, or in other words • The root note
- a shortened version of a chord which typically consists of 3 or more simultaneous • The 5th above the root note
notes. They contain the root note, which identifies the name of the power chord,
and the 5th note in the scale above the root note. It for this reason that power Power Chord Shape II
chords are formally known as 5 chords (for example - a C5 chord). • Contains 3 notes.
• The root note
The beauty of the power chord is that they are incredibly easy to play, are
• The 5th above the root note
extremely versatile and sound especially awesome in rock music. Learning how to
• The octave above the root note
play these is ESSENTIAL for any guitarist, so don’t skip out on this next chord
chart.
As you can see from below, Power chord shape II is an extension of Power Chord
The reason why they sound so great in rock music and are used so widely in this Shape I and simply provides a fuller sound when played, but harmonically speaking
genre probably has something to with how open chords consisting of 5 or 6 strings won’t sound all that different.
sound with distortion - try it! It doesn’t sound awful, but it does sound rather Root note - Determines the
name of the power chord
messy.

Now try play a power chord with distortion and you will notice that it sounds
tight, focused, purposeful and powerful.
The 5th above the root note

The power chord chart on the following page provides you an easy visual guide to
playing any power chord!
The Octave above the root note
The following chord chart is another excellent resource to print out and have
handy and stuck around anywhere you can see it. It’s also a great way to learn some
Figure 6. Power Chord Shape I Figure 7. Power Chord Shape II
of the notes on the guitar.

12
MOVABLE POWER CHORD SHAPES CHART

POWER CHORD SHAPE 1 POWER CHORD SHAPE 1I

ROOT NOTE ON 6TH STRING

SOLUTION 1

SOLUTION 3
ROOT NOTE ON 5TH STRING

SOLUTION 2

SOLUTION 4
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
• Determine what power chord you • Locate the root note for the F# power chord and use • Depending on the shape you want to play (1 or II) place
need to play. your index finger to position your power chord your other fingers relative to the power chord root note.
• Find the note on 6th or 5th string of shape. • Make sure to only pluck the notes you’re pushing down
the fretboard. with your fretting hand.

Example - F# Power Chord Example - For F# Power Chord 2, there are 2 Example - F# Power Chord
options • See the 4 possible solutions above!
• 2nd Fret of the 6th string • They are all correct. What you choose
• 9th Fret of the 5th string is a matter of preference. 13
MOVABLE POWER CHORD SHAPES CHART

Movable Barre Chord Shapes Chart

Barre chords are essential to a developing guitarists’ chord arsenal. Barre chords The following movable barre chords chart will provide you with 12 barre chord
are given their name from the way in which they are fretted - by having one or shapes which will allow you to play hundreds of chord variations, how neat is that?!
more fingers pressing down across multiple strings on the same fret. This
resembles a rigid “bar” that presses down on the strings - hence the term “Barre The one thing all the barre chord shapes have in common is that their name is
Chord”. If you’re wondering “why the strange spelling?”, well that’s because the dictated by their root note or the lowest note that your index finger plays. This
specific spelling “barre” comes from latin-Spanish, as the guitar originated from system is similar to what we encountered with power chords.
Spain.
The other thing the following barre chord shapes have in common is that they are
In contrast to power chords, barre chords contain more notes in their composition all barred with the index finger. No exceptions!
and therefore provide more specific voicings. With power chords, if you were to
strike a power chord by itself with no context (not in a chord progression), it With over a decade of teaching experience, barre chords are often a big hurdle for
would neither be minor or major. With barre chords we are able to be more beginner guitarists, but as I will always say - with practice, patience and persistence,
intentional with what we play and we’re able to add more depth and color to our anyone can play barre chords (even if you have small hands!). At the core, barre
chord. chords are very basic, however beginner guitarists will often give up just because
they can’t immediately play the chord. This is NONSENSE and you (the reader) are
When do we use barre chords? Well, barre chords are typically used for more better than this. Finger dexterity and strength takes practice, patience and
complex voicings and for when we are playing in keys that are not suited to basic persistence - 1 year from now for beginners, these 3 P’s will separate the guitar
open chords. The beauty of barre chords are that their shapes are movable and heroes from the guitar zeroes. Root note - Determines the name
universal! of the barre chord.
Also dictates the fret to be barred.
If you look closely at the movable barre chord shapes on the next page, you will
notice that the first two notes of every barre chord shape are power chords if
played just by themselves! That’s why you should consider barre chords as the
“extension” or “add-on” of the power chord - think of it as the bells and whistles of
the power chord. It goes without saying, but prior to learning barre chords, you
should be able to play power chords. If you can’t play a power chord properly then
there will be a low chance you will be able to play a barre chord. Make sure your
foundations are sound. Similar to power chords, we will base the root note of
barre chords off either the 6th (E) or 5th (A) string of the guitar.
Figure 8. Barre Chord Shape
Example
14
MOVABLE BARRE CHORD SHAPES CHART

Major Major 7 minor minor 7 7

ROOT NOTE ON 6TH STRING

SOLUTION 1
ROOT NOTE ON 5TH STRING

SOLUTION 2
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
• Determine what barre chord you need • Locate the root note for the F# power chord and use • Depending on the shape you want to play (5th of 6th
to play. your index finger to barre the entire fret. string major barre chord) place your other fingers relative
• Find the note on 6th or 5th string of to the index finger you have barred.
the fretboard. • Make sure to only pluck the notes you’re pushing down
with your fretting hand.
Example - F# Major Barre Chord Example - For F# Major Barre Chord 2, there
are 2 options Example - F# Major Barre Chord
• 2nd Fret of the 6th string • See the 2 possible solutions above!
• 9th Fret of the 5th string • They are all correct. What you choose 15
is a matter of preference.
THE ULTIMATE CHORD LIBRARY

The Ultimate Chord Library

The next chord library is perhaps one of the most valuable sections in this chord
and songwriting cheat sheet.

The Ultimate Chord Library shown in the next 4 pages is a concise, compact and
informative guide to over 200 chords including the suggested fingering position.

Think of it as your personal chord dictionary.

See a chord that you don’t recognize in a song tab? No worries, just refer to this
beautifully laid out chord chart and you’ll find your answer.

The Ultimate Chord Library is separated into the 12 different notes of the
chromatic scale to provide you with a giant selection of common and
supplementary chords in any root note.

Each root section will then present the following 20 variations of the chord:

• Major chord • sus2 chord

• minor chord • 7sus2 chord
• 6th chord • sus4 chord
• minor 6th chord • 7sus4 chord
• 7th chord • 5th chord (power chord)
• Major 7th chord • minor7b5 chord (flat 5)
• minor 7th chord • minor 9th chord
• 9th chord • add9 chord
• diminished chord • 11th chord
• augmented chord • 13th chord

16
ULTIMATE CHORD LIBRARY

A A Major A minor A6 A minor6 A7 A Major7 A minor7 A9 A diminished A augmented

Asus2 A7sus2 Asus4 A7sus4 A5 A minor7b5 A minor9 A add9 A11 A13

A# A# Major A# minor A#6 A# minor6 A#7 A# Major7 A# minor7 A#9 A# diminished A# augmented

A#sus2 A7#sus2 A#sus4 A#7sus4 A#5 A# minor7b5 A# minor9 A# add9 A#11 A#13

B B Major B minor B6 B minor6 B7 B Major7 B minor7 B9 B diminished B augmented

Bsus2 B7sus2 Bsus4 B7sus4 B B minor7b5 B minor9 B add9 B11 B13

17
ULTIMATE CHORD LIBRARY

C C Major C minor C6 C minor6 C7 C Major7 C minor7 C9 C dim C augmented

Csus2 C7sus2 Csus4 C7sus4 C5 C minor7b5 C minor9 C add9 C11 C13

C#
C# Major C# minor C#6 C# minor6 C#7 C# Major7 C# minor7 C#9 C# dim C# augmented

C#sus2 C#7sus2 C#sus4 C#7sus4 C#5 C# minor7b5 C# minor9 C# add9 C#11 C#13

D D Major D minor D6 D minor6 D7 D Major7 D minor7 D9 D dim D augmented

Dsus2 D7sus2 Dsus4 D7sus4 D5 D minor7b5 D minor9 D add9 D11 D13

18
ULTIMATE CHORD LIBRARY

D# D# Major D# minor D#6 D# minor6 D#7 D# Major7 D# minor7 D#9 D# diminished D# augmented

D#sus2 D#7sus2 D#sus4 D#7sus4 D#5 D# minor7b5 D# minor9 D# add9 D#11 D#13

E
E Major E minor E6 E minor6 E7 E Major7 E minor7 E9 E diminished E augmented

Esus2 E7sus2 Esus4 E7sus4 E5 E minor7b5 E minor9 E add9 E11 E13

F F Major F minor F6 F minor6 F7 F Major7 F minor7 F9 F diminished F augmented

Fsus2 F7sus2 Fsus4 F7sus4 F5 F minor7b5 F minor9 F add9 F11 F13

19
ULTIMATE CHORD LIBRARY

F# F# Major F# minor F#6 F# minor6 F#7 F# Major7 F# minor7 F#9 F# diminished F# augmented

F#sus2 F#7sus2 F#sus4 F#7sus4 F#5 F# minor7b5 F# minor9 F# add9 F#11 F#13

G
G Major G minor G6 G minor6 G7 G Major7 G minor7 G9 G diminished G augmented

Gsus2 G7sus2 Gsus4 G7sus4 G5 G minor7b5 G minor9 G add9 G11 G13

G# G# Major G# minor G#6 G# minor6 G#7 G# Major7 G# minor7 G# 9 G# diminished G# augmented

G#sus2 G#7sus2 G#sus4 G#7sus4 G#5 G# minor7b5 G# minor9 G# add9 G#11 G#13

20
C HAPTER 3

Songwriting Cheat Sheets

Easy to follow cheat sheets to get you writing your own amazing songs
with basically no musical theory knowledge needed!

• Major Songwriting Chord Maps In 7 Different Keys

• Minor Songwriting Chord Maps In 7 Different Keys
MAJOR SONGWRITING CHORD MAPS IN 7 DIFFERENT K EYS

Major Songwriting Chord Maps In 7 Different Keys

It can sometimes get confusing, especially for beginners, to understand and know Despite keeping this guide free from complicated jargon, I would advise you to read the
what chord should follow another when writing a song. If you’re new to music and below dot points for tips, pointers in order to understand how to use the cheat sheet.
music theory in general, you might have a hard time trying to learn what chords
sounds good together. There are endless combinations for chord progressions • Major keys are used generally for happier sounding songs.
which is the beauty of music, however there are of course, combinations and • For each key, the 7 chords that fit within that key are presented.
progressions which have been used time and time again for centuries due to their • They are represented by roman numerals like so (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°).
harmonious nature. • The upper case numerals represent major chords.
• The major chords I, IV and V are classified as our primary chords.
In this section I map out an easy to follow chord map for 7 different major keys. In • The lower case numbers represent minor chords.
each key I present to you the 7 chords that fit together for that key. Then, using the • The minor chords ii, iii and vi are classified as our secondary chords.
easy to follow infographic map you will be able to compose your own chord • The vii° chord is a diminished chord and is not commonly used and is classified by itself as a
tertiary chord.
progressions in a matter of seconds! It’s actually that easy.
• Using the chord map, start at the I chord and follow the arrows to create your chord
I won’t go into the nuts and bolts behind why the maps work, as it is my goal is to progression.
get you playing, writing and crafting your own songs straight away without worrying • The I chord is the typical starting point but it can be different.
• Select your path on the chord map until you are satisfied with your progression.
about the technical stuff. All you need to know is that it works! Having said that, I
• Typically chord progressions contain 2-4 chords.
do strongly advocate that you try to learn about musical theory as well. There are
• The chord map provided is a GUIDE only.The beauty of music is that the rules are not binding.
endless benefits in understanding the blueprint behind the machine, but for now we
• You’re welcome to introduce chords outside of the key if you think they sound good.
will keep it simple. You’re also welcome to make chord jumps that aren’t suggested on the map.
•
• Experiment with chord variants. Sus2 and sus4 chords are said to be neither major or minor.
This section provides you with 7 Chord Map Cheat Sheets for the following keys:
They therefore can be used to replace any of the chords (with the exception of vii°) to provide
more interesting progressions. For example instead of using A minor, try Asus2 or Asus4.
• C Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet
• Experiment with 7th chords. For example instead of using C major, try C major7.
• D Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet
• Experiment with strumming patterns and tempos. They can immediately change the feel of
• E Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet
your song.
• F Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet Check out the example at the bottom of each cheat sheet to see how a famous act has
•
• G Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet structured their chord progression using the same principles.
• A Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet
• B Major Chord Progression Cheat Sheet

22
KEY OF C MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
C major D minor E minor F Major G Major A minor B diminished

Example
BLINK 182 - ALL THE SMALL THINGS

I - V - vi - IV
C - G - Am - F

23
KEY OF D MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
D major E minor F# minor G Major A Major B minor C# diminished

Example
TAYLOR SWIFT - LOVE STORY

I - V - vi - IV
D - A - Bm - G

24
KEY OF E MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
E major F# minor G# minor A Major B Major C# minor D# diminished

Example
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
UNDER THE BRIDGE

I - V - vi - IV
E - B - C#m - A

25
 KEY OF F MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
F major G minor A minor B♭ Major C Major D minor E diminished

Example
JESSIE J - PRICE TAG

I - iii - vi - IV
F - Am - Dm - B♭

26
KEY OF G MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
G major A minor B minor C Major D Major E minor F# diminished

Example
GREENDAY - TIME OF YOUR LIFE

I - IV - V
G-C-D

27
KEY OF A MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
A major B minor C# minor D Major E Major F# minor G# diminished

Example
ED SHEERAN - THE A TEAM

I - vi - IV - I
A - F#m - D - A

28
KEY OF B MAJOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • I - IV
typically be the I chord. I-V
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• I - V - vi - IV
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 chords • I - vi - IV - V
for a standard progression. • I - IV - V - IV
4. O n c e yo u ’re h a p py w i t h yo u r • V - IV - I
progression write it down and use it
for your song!

I ii iii IV V vi vii°
B major C# minor D# minor E Major F# Major G# minor A# diminished

Example
JASON MRAZ - I’M YOURS

I - V - vi - IV
B - F# - G#m - E

29
MINOR SONGWRITING CHORD MAPS IN 7 DIFFERENT K EYS

Minor Songwriting Chord Maps In 7 Different Keys

Similar to the previous section, this section presents an easy to follow chord map Despite keeping this guide free from complicated jargon, I would advise you to read the
for 7 different minor keys. below dot points for tips, pointers and understand how to use the cheat sheet.

In contrast to the major keys, the minor keys provide a much sadder tone and feel • For each key, the 7 chords that fit within that key are presented.
and are often used in sad or emotional songs. • They are represented by roman numerals like so (i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI,VII).
• The lower case numerals represent minor chords.
In each key I present to you the 7 chords that fit together for that key. Then, using • The minor chords i, iv and v are classified as our primary chords.
the easy to follow infographic map you will be able to compose your own chord • The upper case numbers represent major chords.
progressions in a matter of seconds! It’s actually that easy. • The major chords III,VI and VII are classified as our secondary chords.
• The ii° chord is a diminished chord and is not commonly used and is classified by itself as a
I won’t go into the nuts and bolts behind why the maps work, as it is my goal is to tertiary chord.
get you playing, writing and crafting your own songs straight away without worrying • Using the chord map, start at the i chord and follow the arrows to create your chord progres-
about the technical stuff. All you need to know is that it works! Having said that, I sion.
do strongly advocate that you try to learn about musical theory as well. There are • The i chord is the typical starting point but it can be different.
endless benefits in understanding the blueprint behind the machine, but for now we • Select your path on the chord map until you are satisfied with your progression.
will keep it simple. • Typically chord progressions contain 2-4 chords.
• The chord map provided is a GUIDE only.The beauty of music is that the rules are not binding.
This section provides you with 7 Chord Map Cheat Sheets for the following keys: • You’re welcome to introduce chords outside of the key if you think they sound good.
• You’re also welcome to make chord jumps that aren’t suggested on the map.
• A Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet • Experiment with chord variants. Sus2 and sus4 chords are said to be neither major or minor.
• B Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet They therefore can be used to replace any of the chords (with the exception of ii°) to provide
• C# Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet more interesting progressions. For example instead of using A minor, try Asus2 or Asus4.
• D Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet • Experiment with 7th chords. For example instead of using C major, try C major7.
• E Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet • Experiment with strumming patterns and tempos. They can immediately change the feel of
F# Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet your song.
•
• Check out the example at the bottom of each cheat sheet to see how a famous act has struc-
• G# Minor Chord Progression Cheat Sheet
tured their chord progression using the same principles.

30
KEY OF A MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

A minor B diminished C major D minor E minor F Major G Major

Example
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
OTHERSIDE

i - VI - III - VII
Am - F - C - G

31
KEY OF B MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

B minor C# diminished D major E minor F# minor G Major A Major

Example
3 DOORS DOWN - KRYPTONITE

i - VI - VII
Bm - G - A

32
KEY OF C# MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

C# minor D# diminished E major F# minor G# minor A Major B Major

Example
JOHN MAYER - SLOW DANCING
IN A BURNING ROOM

i - VI - III
C#m - A - E

33
KEY OF D MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

D minor E diminished F major G minor A minor B♭ Major C Major

Example
ERIC CLAPTON - LAYLA

i - VI - VII - i
Dm - B♭- C - Dm

34
KEY OF E MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

E minor F# diminished G major A minor B minor C Major D Major

Example
THE CRANBERRIES - ZOMBIE

i - VI - III - VII
Em - C - G - D

35
KEY OF F# MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

F# minor G# diminished A major B minor C# minor D Major E Major

Example
MGMT - KIDS

i - VI - III - VII
F#m - D - A - E

36
KEY OF G # MINOR - CHORD PROGRESSION CHEAT SHEET

Directions Common Progressions

1. Pick a chord to start with, this will • i - VI
typically be the i chord. i-v
•
2. Follow the arrow to the next chord
• i - III
3. Complete this for however many
chords as you like. Typically 2-4 • i - VI - III - VII
chords for a standard progression. • i - VI - VII
4. Once you’re happy with your • i - VI - III
progression write it down and use it
• i - III - VII - VI
for your song!
• i - v - VI - VII

i ii° III iv v VI VII

G# minor A# diminished B major C# minor D# minor E Major F# Major

Example
LADY GAGA - POKER FACE

i - VI - III - VII
G#m - E - B - F#

37
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