Intro to Minor Keys:
Since Am is the relative minor of C, the key of A Minor uses the same chords as the key of C Major. The main difference is that we start the scale at A instead of C. Here is a diagram of a minor key:
If you compare this image to the previous one, you will see that everything is in the same order. The only difference is that we have moved the starting point to what was previously the “vi” chord on the left side of the circle. Now the minor chords are “i, iv, and v” instead of the major chords. In the key of A Minor the structure looks like this:
i, iv, v = Am, Dm, Em
III, VI, VII = C, F, G
The “V” Chord: One important detail with minor keys is that the “v” chord, which is initially a minor chord, is usually changed to a major chord. This give the key a stronger feeling of movement and resolution, especially when moving from the “V” chord back home to the “i”. This will actually cause one note of the scale to change while you are playing that chord! We will show you how to do that in the Guitar Improvisation Course.