Key Center Soloing IV: Identifying the Minor Key Centers

In my posts Key Center Soloing I and II we analyzed various chord progressions to determine their key centers and which scales to use to solo over the progressions.

For each progression, we listed all the keys each chord belongs to, and then we identified the common one.

There are several ways to determine the key centers for any given chord. This post will provide instruction on how to use your guitar to identify the minor key centers for any given chord.

Identifying Minor Key Centers

One way to identify the minor key centers for any given chord is to refer to my posts that include all 12 harmonized minor scales and look for the ones that the chord belongs to. There is also a numerical formula that works.

But the fastest and easiest way is to simply look at a guitar because the roots of the diatonic chords in any given minor key are always on the same frets, relative to one another.

I will use the first chord progression in Key Center Soloing II to illustrate the process.

Minor Key Chord Progression

The progression in fig.1 includes four triads (D, Em, Bm and C).

Fig.1

Minor Chords

First we will analyze the minor chords in the progression (Em and Bm).

A minor chord is diatonic to three different minor keys. Any given minor chord can function as:

  • The i chord in a minor key.
  • The iv chord in another minor key.
  • The v chord in another minor key.

If we use a note on the sixth string to represent the i chord:

  • The root note of the iv chord is located on the fifth string, on the same fret.
  • The root note of the v chord is located on the fifth string, two frets higher than the root note of the iv chord.

The diagram in fig.2 shows the relationships between the root notes of the i, iv and v chords.

Fig.2

Em Chord

An Em chord can function as the i chord in the key of E minor.

To determine which key Em functions as the iv chord in:

  1. Locate the E on the fifth string, seventh fret (fig.3, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, seventh fret — B (fig.3, highlighted in red).

Em can function as the iv chord in the key of B minor.

Fig.3

To determine which key Em functions as the v chord in:

  1. Locate the E on the fifth string, seventh fret (fig.4, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, fifth fret — A (fig.4, highlighted in red).

Em can function as the v chord in the key of A minor.

Fig.4

So an Em chord can function as:

  • The i chord in the key of E minor.
  • The iv chord in the key of B minor.
  • The v chord in the key of A minor.

Bm Chord

A Bm chord can function as the i chord in the key of B minor.

To determine which key Bm functions as the iv chord in:

  1. Locate the B on the fifth string, second fret (fig.5, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, second fret — F# (fig.5, highlighted in red).

Bm can function as the iv chord in the key of F# minor.

Fig.5

To determine which key Bm functions as the v chord in:

  1. Locate the E on the fifth string, second fret (fig.6, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the open sixth string — E (fig.6, highlighted in red).

Bm can function as the v chord in the key of E minor.

Fig.6

So a Bm chord can function as:

  • The i chord in the key of B minor.
  • The iv chord in the key of F# minor.
  • The v chord in the key of E minor.

Major Chords

Next we will analyze the major chords in the progression (D and C).

A major chord is diatonic to three different minor keys. Any given major chord can function as:

  • The bIII chord in a minor key.
  • The bVI chord in another minor key.
  • The bVII chord in another minor key.

If we use a note on the sixth string to represent the i chord:

  • The root note of the bIII chord is located on the sixth string, three frets higher.
  • The root note of the bVI chord is located on the sixth string, four frets lower.
  • The root note of the bVII chord is located on the sixth string, two frets lower.

The diagram in fig.7 shows the relationships between the root notes of the i, bIII, bVI and bVII chords.

Fig.7

D Major Chord

To determine which key D functions as the bIII chord in:

  1. Locate the D on the sixth string, 10th fret (fig.8, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, seventh fret — B (fig.8, highlighted in red).

D can function as the bIII chord in the key of B minor.

Fig.8

To determine which key D functions as the bVI chord in:

  1. Locate the D on the sixth string, 10th fret (fig.9, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, 14th fret — F# (fig.9, highlighted in red).

D can function as the bVI chord in the key of F# minor.

Fig.9

To determine which key D functions as the bVII chord in:

  1. Locate the D on the sixth string, 10th fret (fig.10, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, 12th fret — E (fig.10, highlighted in red).

D can function as the bVII chord in the key of E minor.

Fig.10

So a D chord can function as:

  • The bIII chord in the key of B minor.
  • The bVI chord in the key of F# minor.
  • The bVII chord in the key of E minor.

C Major Chord

To determine which key C functions as the bIII chord in:

  1. Locate the C on the sixth string, eighth fret (fig.11, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, fifth fret — A (fig.11, highlighted in red).

C can function as the bIII chord in A minor.

Fig.11

To determine which key C functions as the bVI chord in:

  1. Locate the C on the sixth string, eighth fret (fig.12, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, 12th fret — E (fig.12, highlighted in red).

C can function as the bVI chord in the key of E minor.

Fig.12

To determine which key C functions as the bVII chord in:

  1. Locate the C on the sixth string, eighth fret (fig.13, highlighted in blue).
  2. Locate the root note of the i chord on the sixth string, 10th fret — D (fig.13, highlighted in red).

C can function as the bVII chord in the key of D minor.

Fig.13

So a C chord can function as:

  • The bIII chord in the key of A minor.
  • The bVI chord in the key of E minor.
  • The bVII chord in the key of D minor.

Analysis

Our analysis tells us that each of the four chords in the progression is diatonic to the key of E minor, the common key.

So we can use an E minor scale to solo over the progression.

In the key of E minor:

  • Em is the i chord.
  • Bm is the v chord.
  • C is the bVI chord.
  • D is the bVII chord.

The progression in fig.1 is reprinted in fig.14 with Roman numeral analysis.

Fig.14

Related Posts

Related posts include: