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Chords of the Major scale...


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Posted

Casn someone just quickly run by me what exactly the predominant chords of the major cale are?

 

Using C Major scale as an example would the chords be..

 

Cmajor - Dminor - Eminor - Fmajor - Gmajor - Aminor - B?

 

I'm not entirly sure how it works out.. it obviously can't be either B major or B minor at the end there as both use the F# note not present in CMajor scale..

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Posted

I've you're playing triads it's Bdim. If you're playing seventh chords it's B half diminished, or Bmin7b5.

EDIT: Looks like you are playing major & minor triads, not seventh chords. If you play seventh chords the chord based on the fifth scale degree (i.e., G in your example) will be dominant (major 3rd & minor 7th) rather than major (major 3rd & major 7th). Long story short, in your above harmonization of the major scale, the B chord will be Bdim.

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Posted

Tornado - excellent question and it sounds like you are thinking through it


Have you attempted to construct chords based on each degree of the major scale (it sounds as though you have, and found the little stickler)

Are you familiar with the definition of augmented and diminished chords?

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Posted

Cool resource!

I'm going to suggest,that he actually go throug the construction exercise (which it souns like he may already have, bneing he found the "odd man out") - I just find it really cements things for a lot of people

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Posted

Originally posted by MorePaul

Cool resource!


I'm going to suggest,that he actually go throug the construction exercise (which it souns like he may already have, bneing he found the "odd man out") - I just find it really cements things for a lot of people

 

 

If you are referring to my tutorial...here's all my lessons...

 

http://lessons.mikedodge.com

 

There's all kinds of stuff there.

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Posted

Originally posted by MorePaul

Tornado - excellent question and it sounds like you are thinking through it



Have you attempted to construct chords based on each degree of the major scale (it sounds as though you have, and found the little stickler)


Are you familiar with the definition of augmented and diminished chords?

 

 

unfortunately not at the moment..

 

This is just something that interested me just now...

 

Am I right in thinking that this same line of chords can be transposed into other major keys aswell.. for example...

 

Chords of C Major scale =

 

Cmajor - Dminor - Eminor - Fmajor - Gmajor - Aminor - Bdim

 

 

if I look at another Major scale, say E major - the chords of the E major scale would be...

 

Emajor - F#minor - G#minor - Amajor - Bmajor - C#minor - D#dim

 

although that looks odd.. should it be more like the F#minor chord should become Gbminor for instance...???

 

 

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Posted

You are correct. My tutorial will explain all of that and more.

And, your names are good. You only want one of each note, in order. So, it's E, then some type of F, then some type of G, and so on...

So, the root names E F# G#,etc.. is correct.

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Posted

Originally posted by TornadoShaunUK

 

 

unfortunately not at the moment..

 

This is just something that interested me just now...

 

OK, well it certainly looks like you are thinking about it

 

 

Q: are you understanding with what make a chord Maj, Min, Dim, Aug?

 

Q : Are you comfortable with how a major scale is defined?

 

(and don't worry if the anwer i "no", jut trying to get a ense of where you are in looking at this)

 

What I am suggesting is to sit down with a couple of major scales and actually "build" the chords from the various scale degrees

Don't worry about if they are major or minor, but just pick out the notes and assemble the chords

 

THEN - analyze the chords you "built" from the notes and determine what they are

 

Does that makes sense...It'll help you demonstrate to yourself how this fits together and the process of doing it really seems to help a lot of folks out with really gettin 'into' the concept (esp adut learners)

 

 

 

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Posted

Originally posted by gennation



If you are referring to my tutorial...here's all my lessons...




There's all kinds of stuff there.

 

 

 

yupprs, I think it's part of your sig too...yes?

[edit : oops, thought it was]

 

I just wanted to suggest our guy do some "active" exercises as well as reading your resources

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Posted

Originally posted by MorePaul




unfortunately not at the moment..


This is just something that interested me just now...



OK, well it certainly looks like you are thinking about it



Q: are you understanding with what make a chord Maj, Min, Dim, Aug?


Q : Are you comfortable with how a major scale is defined?


(and don't worry if the anwer i "no", jut trying to get a ense of where you are in looking at this)


What I am suggesting is to sit down with a couple of major scales and actually "build" the chords from the various scale degrees

Don't worry about if they are major or minor, but just pick out the notes and assemble the chords


THEN - analyze the chords you "built" from the notes and determine what they are


Does that makes sense...It'll help you demonstrate to yourself how this fits together and the process of doing it really seems to help a lot of folks out with really gettin 'into' the concept (esp adut learners)



 

 

I know pretty much what notes build chords so I can do that.. e.g. a major chord is made up of the root/3rd and 5th notes of a scale. C Major notes are C E G - D is D F# A etc. I haven't done much really on dim/aug chords... just looking at the notes in Bdim just now I notice the 3rd and 5th notes from the major chord of B are just cut downa half step each so it becomes B F D rather than B F# D#. I think augmented is just the other way around.. i.e. BAug would be B G E??? raising those notes in quesiton by a half step...

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Posted

OK
I think it'd be best to start off one step back

Mike's (genn's) site seems to have some well organized information


Are you familiar with how the major and (natural) minor scales are constructructed frombasic "whole step, half-step" patterns?

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Posted

Yep, all of that is in the Intervals Series.

Just start at the top (Intervals) and work your way through subjects/titles.

It will click. Then you'll be able to answer a lot of the questions on your own.

Check them out, their helpful.

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Posted

Let's asign him homework!

seriously Tornado -- read the eriess, but I urge you to pull out some paper and actually try the construction

When, in the intervals section, you get to "A major scale is a 'whole step then a whole step then a half step'"

actually try it (yes, I'm a big fan of kinesthetic learning...esp for adult learners...there's some neuropsych evidence for why, but it'll put us to sleep)

Take C and apply those steps
Take D and apply those same steps
Then do F

give it a shot and feel free to hit up the loft to check your work (so you can be sure you didn't go off the rails)

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Posted

Originally posted by TornadoShaunUK

dudes I know this.. Major scale is WWHWWWH - I'm not that much of an amateur =/ lol

 

 

I would assume that much, especially if you are building Diatonic chords.

 

For sure head on over to my site. I can show you some great stuff you can do with it.

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Posted

Originally posted by TornadoShaunUK

dudes I know this.. Major scale is WWHWWWH - I'm not that much of an amateur =/ lol

 

 

OK, are you

 

1) Familiar with the pattern for a natural minor scale?

2) familiar with the terms "major third" and "minor third"?

3) familiar with what, internally, makes a chord major or minor? (then diminished and augmented? - it sounds like this might be not clear yet, but well get there, just wanted to make sure)iv

 

(It looks like that info is right there in Mike' lessons - those are terms and concepts that will give us a foundation to the chord construction (3 is a little more extended and is built on 2 which is built on 1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted

Yo Shaun - just checking in

We can totally get you going

I asked the aboe questions b/c if we can et you on those, it'll halp you see how Maj and Min differ in a scalar sense and that will help you see how the internal anatomy of those sorts of chords differ

It really is not to difficult, but understanding the scalar bits will really ive you a good footing so the answers make sense!

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