Minor Key Signatures
GET THE MINOR KEY BASICS DOWN WITH THIS SIMPLE THEORY LESSON.
Just like major keys, a minor key signature tells you which notes are likely to appear in the songs you play. What’s the difference between the two kinds of key? Well, just like major and minor chords, the major kind tend to sound bright and happy whereas minor keys sound darker and moodier. Vital info then!
Knowing which notes to use and the general mood of the key signature will help you whether you’re writing your next song or playing along with a jam track. There are three vital notes and intervals that give minor keys their signature sound: the B third, the B sixth and the B seventh.
Grab your guitar, stretch your fingers and read on – we’ll explain a bit more.
EXAMPLE #1: E MINOR SCALE NOTES
With only one sharp note (F#), E minor is a nice easy key signature to start with. G is the all important B third interval (or, a minor third) found three semitones higher than the root note. Compare that with the key of E major (E F# G# A B C# D#) where there’s no G note – but a G# ‘ major third’ four‑semitone interval instead. See if you can work out the B sixth and the B seventh intervals.
EXAMPLE #2: CHORDS IN E MINOR
If you want to jam in E minor, you’ll need to know some suitable chords, and all of the shapes shown here use only notes from the key signature. We usually show finger numbers on our chord boxes but we’ve written the notes here so you can see how the chords relate to the key signature.
EXAMPLE #3: E MINOR LICK
We’ll round off with a melodic rock lick in the key of E minor.
All the notes come from the key and appear in the scale shapes we looked at. Remember, the best reason for learning to play ‘in key’ is so that you can also learn how to play out of key – on purpose, of course – adding light, shade and colour to give you the sounds you’re after!