Majors and Minors
When I started learning scales and chords, all I know was the major scale.
As you may have heard already:
Major Diatonic Scale Construction:
Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half
In another words:
All whole steps except between 2nd-3rd and 6th-7th
If I need to express in some other words which I believe is the most important ones to also learn the reasoning behind naming the chords:
Major Diatonic Scale Intervals:
Root M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7
Which in this case, you may wonder what this notation is. In short, M is major internal and m is minor interval whereas P stands for perfect which we can talk later why they’re called as perfect.
So, to learn more about scales and chords I’ve decided to start from somewhere and found myself in the key of C. Luckily, the key is best known as its notes all made of natural chords, in other words no sharps or flats.
C (whole) D (whole) E (half) F (whole) G (whole) A (whole) B (half) C
I knew that knowing all keys in diatonic major scale is important to derive chords from their scales so I got a pen and paper and wrote all them down.
Right now, I know it is impossible to memorize all 7 scales quickly but I think I can memorize their roots, 3rd’s and 5th’s.
The chord of a related scale is made up by the triads of 1st + 3rd + 5th.
- Major triad is Root + M3(major 3rd) + M5
- Minor triad is Root + m3(minor 3rd) + M5
| Formulas | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii(o) | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A major | A | B | C# | D | E | F# | G# | A |
| B major | B | C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A# | B |
| C major | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
| D major | D | E | F# | G | A | B | C# | D |
| E major | E | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D# | E |
| F major | F | G | A | Bb | C | D | E | F |
| G major | G | A | B | C | D | E | F# | G |
After seeing them all in one place, I think I grouped them by their chord triads as follows
- Natural Major chords
- Their major triads has all three natural notes
| Formulas | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii(o) | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
| F major | F | G | A | Bb | C | D | E | F |
| G major | G | A | B | C | D | E | F# | G |
- In this case major chords will be
- C chord
C E G- F chord
F A C- G chord
G B D- Natural Minor chords
- Their minor triads has all three natural notes
| Formulas | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii(o) | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A major | A | B | C# | D | E | F# | G# | A |
| D major | D | E | F# | G | A | B | C# | D |
| E major | E | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D# | E |
Remember minor triad is using minor 3rds instead of major 3rds.
So when we look at the table above to derive minor chords:
- Am chord
A C E- Dm chord
D F A- Em chord
E G B
So as a summary when someone asks me what X chord is made of
- check whether it is natural major or natural minor.
- construct the triad as Root,3rd,5th.
- adjust the 3rd of the chord in need.
- A C E => sharp the 3rd => A C# E
- C E G => flat the 3rd => C Eb G
This was my initial approach to learn scales and triads. Later I checked open chords on guitar to validate myself and internalise my approach.
Later I’ve realized my approach, or exploration I should say, is a natural results of:
- A minor scale is the minor diatonic scale with no sharps or flats.
- I, IV and V notes of a scale is
- major chords in major scale
- minor chords in minor scale
Let’s check A minor scale and my approach.
| Formula | i | ii(o) | III | iv | v | VI | vii | i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A minor | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | A |
| Formula | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii(o) | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
It’s easy to see i, iv and v notes in A minor diatonic are
- A D E which was classified as natural minor chords in my approach.
And, I, IV and V notes in C major diatonic are
- C F G which was classified as natural major chords in my approach.
Last but not the least, there is B made of B - D#(D in minor) - F#
- Which can not be classified as either natural major or minor in my approach
This is the half diminished(or m7b5) chords in the scales above
- 2nd in minor and 7th in the major scale.
- it means m7b5, includes m7 and b5 of the key.
- For instance, Bm7b5
- B D F(b5) A(m7)
As a summary, it takes a while and painful but I like to learn things in my way and trying to link them with other information as much as possible to memorize them better. I am having fun with this approach so far and will share my learning experience of music theory in guitar.
Next time I will use the most useful concept in music theory, Circle of Fifths, to link building different types of chords and chord progressions with this magic circle.
Until next time, Berk