will somebody please explain this chord/scale Q!

[fancynapkin]

I have tried a long time trying to learn theory, when really there is only one question I have that no book has really explained well at all.

 

How do you find what chords work for what scale? And what scale works for what chord progressions? Like, If I were playing in C, does that mean I can use all the natural chords? Can use g maj, d maj, f maj, etc? Also, if I were playing a prog., like um, say c, f, g (maj) progression, does that mean the key sig changes for each chord? Like during the C maj I play in C, during the F I play in F etc.?? If so, how can one make a chord prog. in the same key? Is it just a matter of finding chords that have notes that are in the scale?

[Poparad]

To find out which chords belong to a key, you simply take a scale and build a chord off of each of it's degrees.

Let's take the C major scale:

C D E F G A B C


To build a chord on each degree, you add the note a third above the root of the chord, and a 5th above. To add a third, just start on the third scale degree:

E F G A B C D E
C D E F G A B C

Lastly, add the fifth on top of each chord:

G A B C D E F G
E F G A B C D E
C D E F G A B C

Rewritten horizontally:

Cmajor: C E G
Dminor: D F A
Eminor: E G B
Fmajor: F A C
Gmajor: G B D
Aminor: A C E
Bdiminished: B D F



So, in each key, there are 3 major chords, 3 minor chords, and 1 diminished chord. This is the same for evey key, and they always end up on the same degrees. A chord built from the first degree will always be major, from the second degree will always be minor, and so on.

Using roman numerals, here is the order of chords (upper case is for major, lower case is for minor, and

[fancynapkin]

Thank you so much. Thats a question that many books dont even mention.

since you basically answered my question perfectly, my I ask you suggestment on a book or web site that has more of this type of stuff?

[bassmantele]

Originally posted by fancynapkin Thank you so much. Thats a question that many books dont even mention. since you basically answered my question perfectly, my I ask you suggestment on a book or web site that has more of this type of stuff?

 

 

Your local Barnes & Noble or Borders should have one of the "For Dummies/Idiots" music theory books. The ones I've looked at have all the basics. Scan through and see if they have what you want.