Working out the Chords in a Major Scale
Lesson 8 from: Music Theory Essentials: Chords, Scales and ModesTomas George
Working out the Chords in a Major Scale
Lesson 8 from: Music Theory Essentials: Chords, Scales and ModesTomas George
Lesson Info
8. Working out the Chords in a Major Scale
Lessons
Scales Introduction
03:08 2Working out a Major Scale
06:45 3Working out a Major Key from a Melody
05:51 4Major Keys and Scales
01:54 5Major Scale on a Score
02:56 6Triads
03:37 7Inversions
03:21 8Working out the Chords in a Major Scale
09:27Different Ways to Write out Chords
04:11 10Working out Major and Minor Triads
07:01 11Diminished and Augmented Triads
05:22 127th Chords
12:16 13Extended Chords
06:34 14Suspended Chords
06:02 15The Circle of 5ths
12:48 16How to Change Key
14:54 17Natural Minor Scale
11:21 18Chords in the Minor Scale
05:59 19Harmonic Minor Scale
07:15 20Melodic Minor Scale
11:12 21Modes
03:54 22Ionian Mode
00:47 23Dorian Mode
03:14 24Phrygian Mode
03:14 25Lydian Mode
01:21 26Mixolydian Mode
02:11 27Aeolian Mode
01:03 28Locrian Mode
03:56 29Section introduction
00:17 30Song Analysis 1 - Capsize
15:25 31Song Analysis 2 - Floating
18:07Lesson Info
Working out the Chords in a Major Scale
So we've written out a major scale, we've had a look at triads and inversions. Now, we're going to actually have a look at all the different codes that we get in the scale. So you remember when we stacked up the triads, we did this for every single note here. So all seven notes. So in C major CD efgab and then C again. So all seven notes from C two B and we stack them up the route the third and the fifth. But we didn't actually talk about the major chords or the minor chords or even the one called a diminished chord. So in each key, we have a certain pattern where we can work out which one's major, which one's a minor and which one is diminished. And this pattern is major, minor, minor, major, major, minor diminished major, that's really important. So try and memorize this the best you can after a while, be second nature, major minor, minor, major, major, minor diminished major. I've said this many times before, thought about this many times. So just think major minor minor major major...
, minor diminished major. So there are a few ways we can write this, we can have a capital M for major and a little M for minor and dim dim for diminished or we can have my favorite way of writing it, which is the jazz way. A triangle for major, a minor sign for minor and a circle for diminished. And there's another pattern that I want you to remember for this one, major is five and four, minor is four and five and diminished is four and four. So they're the two patterns I want you to remember for this lecture. So write them down major, minor, minor, major, major, minor diminished major and major five and four minor four and five diminished four and four. And with those two patterns and of course, the tone tone semitone, tone, tone tone semitone, we can work out all the notes in a major scale, all the chords of a major scale and not all of the chords in every single key, which is super useful. So this first one here is major and we have minor minor major, major, minor diminished major. So remember major was five and four. So what do I mean by five and four? So this is the distance between the third and the fifth. So on the keyboard here. So it's including the first note 12345. So this will give us the third. So let's write in this here. So this is A and a OK. And then remember it was four count in the 1st 11234. So 1234, this will give us a G. So we have the C the third and E counting up 512345 and then counting up 41234, we have the G. So that's a major call. Let's just put this G in as well. So remember the next one was a minor, it's major minor. OK. So starting on the d, remember the other pattern four and five for minor. So one, 23, fours, this note, let's just put this in. This might be complex to start with. But once you get your head around this, it quickly allows you to write out any of the chords and also understand the different types of chords. You can look at the chords and realize the distance between the root and the third and then the third and the fifth to find out if it's a major chord, a minor chord or a diminished chord. Remember we did 1234 and then 12345. So this is the minor cord you can hear now going from the C major to ad minor. So this is a major chord. You can listen, it sounds quite happy and the miner sounds quite sad and you can see from up here as well there's no black notes, it's just the white notes. So they both fit in C major So let's draw it in this. A then the same for this. E remember it's minor. So we have the E here. 1234, give us this G and then 12345 will give us A B. So this is quite a complex lecture. If you're new to music theory, two patterns to remember major, minor, minor, major, major, minor diminished major. OK. And then also major five and four, minor four and five diminished four and four. There's not gonna be that many more patterns. I'm going to give you but try and remember this, I'm gonna say it once more. Major minor minor major, major, minor diminish major major five and four, minor four and five diminished four and four, maybe. Take a screenshot of this. Just try and remember it, write it down, just try and remember these patterns. OK. So next is f so if you remember major minor minor major, so we have a major now. So we have 12345. This will give us nay and then 1234, this will give us ac. OK. So next is a G, remember this is a major and then 1234. Remember to count the first note and we have this here. So we have G A B and then ad and then the sixth one here, the A is a minor 1234. So SC is the 3rd 12345 E is the fifth. Then we have this kind of weird one that diminish which is four and four kind of an extreme minor, I guess. So we have 1234, just give us A B and then 1234, give us this f can be a quite weird sounding chord. Maybe not use it all the time, especially in popular music. However, film score something a bit more unusual you can use to diminish that and then back to the C remember. So it's an E and then AJ C major is an easy one to work with because it's basically just all the white notes you notice there's no sharps or flats so we can work this out any key. So say we start on a major chord, we can work out all of the notes of the scale and then work out all of the chords and then know the different types of chords we can use. So if we're playing the piano, we're playing the guitar, we know which chords we can use in the key. So one little shortcut, I don't really recommend doing this. But if you're new to writing music, it can help, you can write out all the chords in C major and then just drag them to say a and then this will give you all of the codes in a alternatively, you can do this with the piano roll So for this a here we have 12345 and then 1234, we give us this e so you use either the piano roll or the score editor, whichever one you feel more comfortable. But like I said previously, I do recommend being able to use both of these for writing, composing and working with other musicians. OK. Back to the score. And I tell you all notice all of these different sharps and flats and naturals. So we will have to go and actually change the key in logic pro 10, you just hit this button here, choose the key, this one's a major and then just uh insert it. You'll notice now all the shops and flats have disappeared because uh we have the key signature here. Free shops, which is a major. So this is quite an intense lecture. I have shown you how to work out all of the chords in a major scale and also how to work out a major chord, a minor chord and a diminished chord. So one last time before we finish this lecture, I want you to remember this pattern. Major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished major and also this one as well. Major five and four, minor, four and five diminished four and four. So thank you for watching this lecture all about working out the chords in a major scale.
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