How to Write Beautiful Minor Chord Progressions on Piano
A simple minor chord progression uses functional harmony: a predominant chord (iv, G minor in D minor) moves to an unstable dominant (V, A major, borrowed from the harmonic minor) which resolves to the stable tonic (i, D minor).
Key points
- Minor progressions do not have to use only minor chords; mixing chord types adds colour.
- Functional harmony moves from predominant to dominant to tonic, from rising tension to rest.
- In D minor the chords are G minor (iv), A major (V) and D minor (i).
- A major borrows C#, the leading note of D harmonic minor, which pulls strongly to D.
- Loop the progression, stay on the tonic longer, and add a sung or played melody on top.
What this lesson teaches
This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music shows you how to build a minor chord progression from the ground up using functional harmony. It suits pianists, songwriters and anyone who wants to write music with a minor mood: melancholic, pensive, yearning, brave or even epic and victorious.
A key point to remember: a minor progression does not mean using only minor chords. Using only minor chords tends to sound simply sad. Mixing chord types gives you more colours and emotions while keeping the overall minor theme.
Functional harmony: chords with energy levels
In functional harmony, each chord is named for the job it does, almost like an energy state:
- Predominant (also called subdominant): it wants to move to the dominant.
- Dominant: it is unstable and wants to resolve.
- Tonic: it feels like home, the most stable point.
The energy rises from predominant to dominant and then settles on the tonic. You can change and colour the individual chords later, but these functions stay the same.
The three chords in D minor
The whole lesson is in the key of D minor and uses just three plain triads:
- G minor (G Bb D) – the iv chord, the predominant.
- A major (A C# E) – the V chord, the dominant.
- D minor (D F A) – the i chord, the tonic.
Play G minor, then A major, then D minor, and you will hear D minor arrive as home.
Why A major and not A minor?
When you harmonise a minor scale, the seventh note has two options:
- Natural minor uses the flat seventh, C (D E F G A Bb C).
- Harmonic minor raises it to C#, the leading note (D E F G A Bb C#).
The A major chord borrows that C# from the harmonic minor. The C# sits just a semitone below D, so it pulls strongly towards the D minor chord. An A minor chord could also resolve to D minor, but the A major dominant is the more common and stronger choice. G is the fourth degree in both the natural and the harmonic minor, so G minor works as the iv chord either way. (The Dorian mode is another minor option, saved for a later lesson.)
Making it sound like a song
Because the chords have a functional, almost magnetic pull towards each other, the progression loops naturally. You can repeat it for a whole song. Try staying on D minor a little longer than the other two chords, since lingering on the home chord makes the resolution feel settled.
Jason also plays a simple template melody over the chords. You do not have to use his tune: you can sing a melody, improvise one, or play it on the piano. The focus of the lesson is the chord progression itself.
The same three chords can take on different moods depending on how you play them. A heavier touch can make them sound bold and brave, while a softer one can make them feel desolate and sad.
How to practise
- Play G minor, A major and D minor slowly as root-position triads until the movement feels familiar.
- Notice the tension on A major and the release on D minor.
- Loop the progression, holding D minor a bit longer.
- Play the chords in your left hand and a melody in your right hand, or sing over them.
- Experiment with touch and dynamics to bring out different moods.
This progression is the template for a longer series on minor harmony. Later parts colour it with diminished and augmented chords, jazz tensions, passing and slash chords, secondary dominants and tritone substitutions.
Questions about this lesson
What are the three basic chords for a minor chord progression in D minor?
G minor (iv) is the predominant, A major (V) is the dominant and D minor (i) is the tonic. Playing them in that order creates tension that resolves home to D minor.
Why use A major instead of A minor in D minor?
A major contains C#, the leading note from the D harmonic minor scale, which sits a semitone below D and pulls strongly to the tonic. A minor can also resolve to D minor, but A major gives the stronger, more common resolution.
What is the difference between natural minor and harmonic minor?
Natural minor uses a flat seventh degree (C in D minor), while harmonic minor raises the seventh to create a leading note (C# in D minor). You can draw chords from both when writing minor progressions.
Does a minor chord progression only sound sad?
No. Depending on the chords and how you play them, a minor progression can sound pensive, yearning, brave, desolate or even epic and victorious.
Practise it
- Cadence LibraryCompare piano cadences across keys and listen to how different chord movements create closure, suspense or a turn in a new direction.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- 10 Instant Melody-Writing Strategies for Pianists and ProducersTo write a melody quickly, Jason Zac suggests starting from at least two chords, using chord tones and landing notes on strong beats, building rhythm first, displacing beats, using the pentatonic or a smaller subset scale, singing and transcribing, turning practice patterns into tunes, and borrowing ideas from favourite songs.
- 10 Types of Cadences Explained: Theory, Ear Training and PianoA cadence is a short chord progression of two to four chords, such as V–I (authentic), IV–I (plagal), V–vi (deceptive) or i–bVII–bVI–V (Andalusian), used to end, extend or redirect a musical phrase.
- 15 of the Most Popular Chord Progressions on Piano (Major, Minor and Modal)Popular piano chord progressions in the key of F include I–vi–IV–V (F Dm Bb C), I–V–vi–IV and its rotations, ii–V–I, the minor i–bVII–v–bVI, the Andalusian i–bVII–bVI–V, the Dorian i–bIII–bVII–IV, the Mixolydian bVII–IV–I, the 12-bar blues, the Canon progression and the line cliché.
- The Spanish Andalusian Cadence Every Pianist Should Know (Part 1)The Andalusian cadence in D minor is Dm–C–Bb–A (i–bVII–bVI–V), a descending, flamenco-flavoured progression that borrows the C from the natural minor and the A major (with C#) from the harmonic minor.