Guitar Keys: Every Major and Minor Key
There are 12 major and 12 minor keys. Each major key shares its notes and key signature with one minor key, its relative minor. Going clockwise round the circle of fifths, each key adds one sharp; going the other way, one flat.
All keys, circle of fifths order
| Signature | Major | Relative minor |
|---|---|---|
| 0none | C major Every chord open except F and Bdim; all six open strings fit. | A minor Am, Dm, Em, C and G are open; the usual first minor key. |
| 1♯F♯ | G major Five open chords: the easiest key on guitar. | E minor Home is the open low E string; all six open strings fit. |
| 2♯F♯ C♯ | D major Open D, Em, G and A; open D and A strings drone. | B minor Bm and F♯m are barres; D, Em, G and A are open. |
| 3♯F♯ C♯ G♯ | A major Open A, D and E: the open-chord blues key. | F♯ minor Capo 2 with Em shapes, or barre F♯m at fret 2. |
| 4♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ | E major Root on the open low E string, home of riffs. | C♯ minor Capo 4 with Am shapes. |
| 5♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ | B major Barre-chord key; capo 4 with G shapes. | G♯ minor Capo 4 with Em shapes. |
| 6♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ 6♭B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ | F♯ major Capo 2 with E shapes or capo 4 with D shapes. G♭ major Same sounds as F♯ major, written with six flats. | E♭ minor Capo 1 with Dm shapes or capo 6 with Am shapes. D♯ minor Same sounds as E♭ minor, written with six sharps. |
| 5♭B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ 7♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ | D♭ major Capo 1 with C shapes; five flats. C♯ major Same sounds as D♭ major, every note sharp. | B♭ minor Capo 1 with Am shapes. A♯ minor Same sounds as B♭ minor, written with seven sharps. |
| 4♭B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ | A♭ major Capo 1 with G shapes. | F minor Capo 1 with Em shapes; Fm is the E-shape minor barre at fret 1. |
| 3♭B♭ E♭ A♭ | E♭ major Capo 3 with C shapes, or tune down a half step. | C minor Capo 3 with Am shapes. |
| 2♭B♭ E♭ | B♭ major Capo 1 with A shapes or capo 3 with G shapes; a band key. | G minor Capo 3 with Em shapes or capo 5 with Dm shapes. |
| 1♭B♭ | F major Capo 3 with D shapes avoids the F barre. | D minor Open Dm, Am and C; one flat. |
Rows with two spellings (F♯ / G♭, D♭ / C♯) are the same sounds written two ways; the fingerings are identical.
Best guitar keys for beginners: how to pick a key
Easiest on guitar: G, C, D, A and E major and A, E and D minor, because most of their main chords are open shapes. Every other key is played with barre chords or with a capo and one of those open shapes; the table above says which.
For a song you already know, use the key it was recorded in (the song key finder tells you which from a recording), then pick the capo position from that key's page so the chords become open shapes; the capo calculator does the same for any key and shape. For writing, start in G, C, D, A or E major, or in A, E or D minor: the open strings ring and most chords need no barre. The chord progression generator builds and plays progressions in any of these keys.
Relative keys share every chord. If a song sits between G major and E minor, both pages show the same seven chords; only the home chord changes. The circle of fifths shows every key with its relative minor and its closest neighbours.
Before you play along, tune your guitar.