In the chords in keys section, it says the pattern for Major keys is Maj-Min-Min-Maj-Maj-Min-Dim
Is there an easy way to remember Minor keys? Is there a similar progression and something simple to remember, thanks in advance
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Yes. It’s the same as what you wrote, but starting on the 6th chord.
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Hello @davidwildey welcome to the community.
It is exactly as @jjw describes.
See if this diagram helps.
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Okay, so the fluoro yellow major that is highlighted if you follow the sequence in the way the arrow describes is Maj min min maj maj min dim
And from fluoro yellow minor around it is min dim etc etc? Is that right?
So I need to memorise the yellow minor sequence around the circle? Is that it?
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Hi David and welcome 
I can’t let @Richard_close2u post an image of a colored wheel without referring to an excellent resource that he has provided on the Circle of Fifths
It provides all the chords to all the keys and is a marvel in it’s own right.
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You understand it correctly @davidwildey
If you memorise the major key pattern it automatically provides the minor key pattern.
In time, with usage you will come to know both.
@brianlarsen is very kind. That topic is dense, mysterious and lengthy!
Thanks so much everybody, this is my first post in the forum, I wasn’t expecting a reply as its possibly very simple, so far its a positive experience and lots of supportive info, thanks for making the visit a positive one,
thanks everyone that replied,
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The simplest way for me is 1 4 5.
In a minor key the 1st 4th and 5th chord are minor, in a major key they’re major. Dim is the 2nd chord in minor, 7th in major.
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Hi, first post for me!
I am struggling to memorise the chords in keys. I understand how it works (finally) and know the formulas to get the specific chords for Major and Minor keys.
My issue is if someone said let’s play a progression in a certain minor key for example, I would either have to look at something I’d printed out or write it all down using WHWWHWW.
Is it just constant repetition to know that the key of Em for example is Em, F#dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D or am I missing a trick somewhere.
So far, the only quick guide I have is for Major Keys - I will use the root on the E string and know that directly under that and 1 step up are all major, giving me 1,4,5.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Wekcome to the community Bibs.
There are mneumonics, and other aids, that help in the recall of the notes, and by extension, the chords of a key. I’ve found people have various ways of doing this.
Justin has related some lessons on these. One is the Cato 'trick for notes. Another is the physical patterns on the E abd A strings to generate the chords.
I’ve found it is a gradual process of ingraining these to the point where they start become an internal ‘image’ in your mind.
For minor keys, you have the additional ‘aid’ of utilising its relative relationship to the Major scale.
Eg C/Am. So if you know the C major chords, you know the Am chords. They just have a different ‘function’ within the key.
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Well you’re half way there, 145 major, 236 minor.i know this as the L7 grid. 2 is a step up from 1, 3 a step up from 2 and 6 directly under 3 or a step up from 5. 7 is half a step down from 1.
For minor keys it the 77 grid as I call it.
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Really appreciate the advice, thank you! So far the patterns on the E and A string are making the most sense to me.
Is the idea that you do this often enough for long enough that when doing progressions with open chords you don’t have to refer to the patterns further down the neck? For example in A Minor, I don’t want to have to look towards the 8th fret to know that C Major is in the key. Hopefully this just comes with time.