Music Theory Cheat Sheet

SECTION 1

ALL 12 MAJOR SCALES

C MAJOR

C · D · E · F · G · A · B

G MAJOR

G · A · B · C · D · E · F#

D MAJOR

D · E · F# · G · A · B · C#

A MAJOR

A · B · C# · D · E · F# · G#

E MAJOR

E · F# · G# · A · B · C# · D#

B MAJOR

B · C# · D# · E · F# · G# · A#

F# / Gb MAJOR

F# · G# · A# · B · C# · D# · E#

Db MAJOR

Db · Eb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · C

Ab MAJOR

Ab · Bb · C · Db · Eb · F · G

Eb MAJOR

Eb · F · G · Ab · Bb · C · D

Bb MAJOR

Bb · C · D · Eb · F · G · A

F MAJOR

F · G · A · Bb · C · D · E

SECTION 2

ALL 12 NATURAL MINOR SCALES

A MINOR

A · B · C · D · E · F · G

E MINOR

E · F# · G · A · B · C · D

B MINOR

B · C# · D · E · F# · G · A

F# MINOR

F# · G# · A · B · C# · D · E

C# MINOR

C# · D# · E · F# · G# · A · B

G# / Ab MINOR

G# · A# · B · C# · D# · E · F#

Eb / D# MINOR

Eb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · Cb · Db

Bb MINOR

Bb · C · Db · Eb · F · Gb · Ab

F MINOR

F · G · Ab · Bb · C · Db · Eb

C MINOR

C · D · Eb · F · G · Ab · Bb

G MINOR

G · A · Bb · C · D · Eb · F

D MINOR

D · E · F · G · A · Bb · C

SECTION 3

CHORD FORMULAS

CHORD TYPE	FORMULA	EXAMPLE (C root)
Major	1 – 3 – 5	C – E – G
Minor	1 – b3 – 5	C – Eb – G
Diminished	1 – b3 – b5	C – Eb – Gb
Augmented	1 – 3 – #5	C – E – G#
Major 7	1 – 3 – 5 – 7	C – E – G – B
Minor 7	1 – b3 – 5 – b7	C – Eb – G – Bb
Dominant 7	1 – 3 – 5 – b7	C – E – G – Bb
Suspended 2 (sus2)	1 – 2 – 5	C – D – G
Suspended 4 (sus4)	1 – 4 – 5	C – F – G

SECTION 4

THE 7 MODES

Ionian

1ST DEGREE · MAJOR SCALE

Bright, happy, resolved. The standard major scale — the most familiar sound in Western music. W–W–H–W–W–W–H. Used in pop, folk, classical, and virtually every genre.

Dorian

2ND DEGREE · MINOR + RAISED 6TH

Minor with a raised 6th — creating a brighter, groovier, more optimistic minor feel. W–H–W–W–W–H–W. Widely used in jazz, funk, soul, blues, and electronic music. D Dorian = D E F G A B C.

Phrygian

3RD DEGREE · MINOR + LOWERED 2ND

Dark, Spanish, and tense due to its flat 2nd. H–W–W–W–H–W–W. Common in flamenco, metal, and dark electronic. Creates a strong sense of tension and exoticism.

Lydian

4TH DEGREE · MAJOR + RAISED 4TH

Dreamy, floating, and otherworldly due to the raised 4th (tritone above the root). W–W–W–H–W–W–H. Favored in film scores, ambient, and jazz fusion for its ethereal, unresolved quality.

Mixolydian

5TH DEGREE · MAJOR + LOWERED 7TH

Major feel with a bluesy, unresolved quality from the flat 7th. W–W–H–W–W–H–W. Hugely common in blues, rock, funk, and country. G Mixolydian = G A B C D E F.

Aeolian

6TH DEGREE · NATURAL MINOR

The natural minor scale — melancholic, serious, and emotionally complex. W–H–W–W–H–W–W. The most common minor scale in pop, rock, electronic, and classical music.

Locrian

7TH DEGREE · DIMINISHED

The darkest and most dissonant mode, with a flat 2nd and flat 5th creating extreme tension. H–W–W–H–W–W–W. Rarely used as a tonal center but appears in jazz and metal for tense, unstable passages.

SECTION 5

CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

CLOCKWISE — EACH KEY IS A PERFECT FIFTH ABOVE THE PREVIOUS

C

G

D

A

E

B

F#/Gb

Db

Ab

Eb

Bb

F

Each step clockwise adds a sharp (or removes a flat); each step counter-clockwise adds a flat (or removes a sharp). Adjacent keys share 6 of 7 notes — making them harmonically close and ideal for modulation. The relative minor of each major key is found a minor third (3 semitones) below: C major → A minor.

SECTION 6

COMMON CHORD PROGRESSIONS

PROGRESSION	EXAMPLE (C)	GENRE / USE
I – IV – V	C – F – G	Blues, rock, country, folk — the most common Western progression
I – V – vi – IV	C – G – Am – F	Pop — used in thousands of hit songs across all decades
ii – V – I	Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7	Jazz — the fundamental cadence of tonal jazz harmony
i – VII – VI – VII	Am – G – F – G	Minor pop, electronic, anthemic rock
I – vi – IV – V	C – Am – F – G	50s doo-wop, pop ballads, classic rock
i – VI – III – VII	Am – F – C – G	Pop, dance, emotional electronic music
I – IV – vi – V	C – F – Am – G	Pop, R&B, contemporary songwriting

FAQ

COMMON QUESTIONS

Can I print this cheat sheet?
Yes. Use the Print / Save PDF button at the top of the page, or your browser's print command. The layout switches to a clean version that fits on paper, and you can save it as a PDF instead of printing.

What should I learn first?
Start with the major scale and the chords built on it — I, IV and V alone cover a huge share of songs. Then learn the natural minor scale, the relative major and minor relationship and the circle of fifths. Modes and seventh chords come once those feel automatic.

How do I read the chord formulas?
A formula lists the scale degrees a chord uses, counted from its root in the major scale. A major triad is 1–3–5 (C–E–G); a minor triad lowers the third, 1–b3–5 (C–E♭–G); a dominant seventh adds a lowered seventh, 1–3–5–b7 (C–E–G–B♭). Apply the same formula from any root to build the chord in every key.