Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys

This Berklee course develops the connection between written chord symbols and the sounds they represent. F major and D minor introduce the work, followed by diatonic seventh chords, G major and the major pentatonic scale. The sequence is useful when basic notation is familiar but reading a chart or navigating a minor key still feels slow.

What you will learn

• Interpret common symbols on a chord chart.
• Build diatonic seventh chords within a key.
• Connect a pentatonic melody with its harmonic setting.

Who this suits

Berklee recommends completing Developing Your Musicianship first. Choose this intermediate course after a foundation in basic pitch, rhythm and scales.

Before you enroll

A short video can introduce a chord much faster than your hands or ears can learn it. Plan repeated playing and listening alongside the published study workload.

Coursera lists paid enrollment or subscription access. Check the enrollment screen for included assessments, certificate terms, trials and any financial-aid options. University authorship does not by itself confer admission, academic credit or a professional license.

Put it into practice

Create a four-bar chart in D minor. Play the progression, add a simple melody and label the notes that belong to each underlying chord.

Source and review

This overview is based on the provider's published information, checked on 12 October 2026. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim that we completed the resource. Time filters are approximate study ranges; projects and exercises can take longer.

View the curriculum and current access options at Coursera.

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