Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Book - Chord Cookbook
Book - Chord Cookbook
Compendium
Index
Introduction
Chords
5
7
Open Position Chords Major and Minor Triads
Open Position Chords 4 Note Chords
Barre Chords
Sus4 Chords
Sus2 Chords
Sus4 & Sus2 Chords Combinations
Add 9 Chords
Add 11 Chords
Min 7 Chords
Maj 7 Chords
MinMaj 7 Chords
Add 6 Chords
m 6 Chords
m 69 Chords
Maj 7 & Add 6 Extended Chords
Dom 7 Chords
Dom 7 Extended Chords
Altered Dom 7 Chords
Diminished & Augmented Triad
Half Diminished Chord
Diminished 7th Chord
Powerchords
Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string
Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string
Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string
Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Sus4 & Sus2
Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Sus4 & Sus2
Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Sus4 & Sus2
Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Dom 7
Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Dom 7
Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Dom 7
Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Maj 7
Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Maj 7
Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Maj 7
Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Min 7
Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Min 7
Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Min 7
Powerchord Based Triads
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8
10
12
13
14
16
17
18
20
21
22
23
25
26
28
30
32
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
55
57
59
60
66
69
71
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Chord Harmony
Introduction
Chord Extensions
Chord Formulas
Formulas for Chord Families
Chord Progressions
Major Chord replaced by its dominant chord
Adding chords from the minor key with the same root
Alternative Chords in a minor key
Replacing the Vm with a V major chord in a Minor key
Changing keys (modulation)
Modulation to the relative minor or major
How to Modulate
The V- I Modulation
Modulating one whole note up
Modulating to the Tonic Minor
Other Modulations
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77
79
81
84
86
87
92
94
97
98
99
100
101
101
101
Introduction
This chord reference library includes all open position chords, bar chords, all the important extensions a chord
can have and a number of chord tricks and systems to classify chords.
It is the companion to the TrueFire Interactive Video Course with the same name.
Among these chord tricks and systems are
moving an open position chord up the neck to create new sounds
using bar chords without a bar
build chords that have so called close voicings, which is the use of two notes in a chord that are step or 1
step apart
the use of pedal notes in a chord progression
counterpoint, contrary motion and melodic movement within a chord
an extensive look at inversions, triads, powerchord triads and ways to expand them
and finally chords that are built with quartal harmony.
You can go through this library much like you can with all the other TrueFire courses; start at the beginning, go
through all the examples, the breakdown of the harmony, all the chord tricks that are described, the ways they
are categorized and at a breakneck speed enlarge your chord knowledge.
But because this subject is so vast and important, you can also use it as an encyclopedia.
You can come back to the videos and powertabs whenever youre stuck with playing the same old chords or
when you need to find out how to create or extend certain chords.
You can print this reference manual which will give you a systematic rundown of almost all the chords youll ever
need, several ways they can be categorized and a set of harmonic and melodic tricks you can use to extend
chords and chord progressions.
It also includes a 30 page rundown of chord harmony theory youll need to place the chords into context.
With every type of chord and approach to playing chords, standard chord progressions and chord tricks weve
included a list of hit songs to help you get a solid grip on chord colors and the ways they are used by the writers
of hit records.
I encourage you to check out these songs and listen for the effect these chords and chord tricks have.
Its easier to remember what they sound like if you have heard a clear and practical example.
Youll be able to label chords by players or situations or even certain songs, like: the Jimi Hendrix chord, Andy
Summers chord, the Wonderwall trick or the James Bond theme.
Aside from references to these hit songs, Ive included about 35 original compositions to illustrate how chords
can be colored, how certain effects can be achieved, which chords will work in which situations and how to
5
This reference manual does not include all the chords you can possibly play on guitar and it doesnt intend to.
That whole approach is senseless, because there are probably a few million and no one is going to be able to
remember them all and least of all, know how to use all of them.
This reference manual does include 98 percent of all chords youll ever need playing pop, rock, blues, folk, r & b,
soul, funk and other modern western music. Ive stopped short of going into jazz and fusion but this manual will
have given you several systems to build those chords yourself or analyze them with the extensive harmony
section included. I have only included playable chords, meaning chords for which you dont have to break your
fingers or extend them over too many frets. This library is for guitar players, not for guitar wizards.
This is a load of material, so take your time going through it.
I hope you enjoy this systematic approach and am convinced it will help you extend your chord knowledge.
It will make you recognize chords and chord progressions quicker and help you find certain chord effects when
youre composing songs. This manual will give you all the tools you need to analyze tabs and chord progressions
you find on the internet and play the correct guitar arrangement.
Matthieu Brandt
for TrueFire
Haarlem (The Original), The Netherlands
June 2008
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
: Major and Minor Chords, that use one or more open strings
with 3 different notes: the root, the third and the fifth.
Some of these notes can be doubled.
: Major Triad = 1-3-5 & Minor Triad = 1-b3-5
: Folk, Country, Singer Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Americana, etc.
: House of the Risin Sun (The Animals), A Horse With No Name (America)
Riders on the Storm (The Doors), Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel), etc.
: Major and Minor Chords, that use one or more open strings
with 4 different notes: the root, the third, the fifth and the seventh.
: Dominant Seventh = 1-3-5-b7 , Major Seventh = 1-3-5-7 &
Minor Seventh = 1-b3-5-b7
: Folk, Country, Blues, Singer Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Americana, etc.
: Angie (Rolling Stones), Knocking on Heavens Door (Bob Dylan),
Streets of London (Ralph McTell), etc.
Barre Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
How To Use
10
How To Use
How To Use
11
Sus4 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
12
Sus2 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
13
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
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15
Add 9 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
16
Add 11 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
17
Min 7 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
When to use
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Maj 7 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Major Triad that has an added major 7th. This major 7th lies 11 x note or 11
frets above the root of the chord (same as 1 fret down).
: 1-3-5-7
: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc.
: Lying Eyes (The Eagles), Photographs and Memories (Jim Croce),
God Bless The Child (Billy Holiday), Sunny Skies (James Taylor),
Show me the Way (Peter Frampton), Old Friends (Simon & Garfunkel),
Harvest Moon (Neil Young).
: Gives the major chord a softer more mellow color.
Makes the chord melancholic and light.
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MinMaj7 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
21
Add 6 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
22
m 6 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Minor Triad that has an added major 6th or flatted 6th (uncommon)
This major 6th lies 9 x note or 9 frets above the root of the chord
(same as 3 frets down).
The flatted 6th (also referred to as b13) lies 8 x1/2 note or 8 frets above
the root of the chord.
The major 6th stems from the Dorian Minor Scale and the flatted 6th from
the Aeolian Minor Scale. The notation for this chord can also be min(min6).
: 1-b3-5-6 or 1-b3-5-b6
: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc.
: Play That Funky Music, White Boy (Wild Cherry)
: In a downward progression on a min chord; min->mMaj7->m7->m6.
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m 69 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
: A Minor Triad that has an added major 6th AND an added 9th.
: 1-b3-5-6-9
: Jazz, Pop, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc.
: Forty Thousand Headmen (Traffic), 3x5 (John Mayer),
Theme From the Pink Panther
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: A Major Triad that has an added major 6th and/or an added major 7th
and/or one other extension
: 1-3-5-6-7, 1-3-5-7-13, 1-3-5-7-9, 1-3-5-6-9
: Jazz, Latin, Fusion, etc.
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Dom 7 Chords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Major Triad with an added flatted 7th on top of the root of the chord.
This note is 10 x note (10 frets) above the root or 2 frets down.
: 1-3-5-b7
: Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: Almost all 12-bar blues progressions,
Dom 7th on I-Chord Mrs. Robinson (Simon and Garfunkel)
More than Words (extreme)
: Chord creates some tension that wants to resolve, due to the tritone interval
between the major third of the chord and the flatted seventh.
This is an unstable interval. In blues this a dominant seventh chord can
be played for a longer period of time without resolving.
Also used to make a chord or chord progression more bluesy.
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29
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Dominant Seventh Chord with one or more notes added from the parent
scale. The Parent scale is the Ionian Major scale in which the dominant
seventh chord is the 5th degree.
Notes from this scale are added on top of the Dom 7th chord.
: 1-3-5-b7-9 (Dom 9th), 1-3-5-b7-13 (Dom 13th), 1-3-5-b7-11 (Dom 11th )
: Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: Almost all 12-bar blues progressions (Chicago style Texas and West Coast)
: Chord creates some tension that wants to resolve, due to the tritone interval
between the major third of the chord and the flatted seventh.
This is an unstable interval. In blues this a dominant seventh chord can
be played for a longer period of time without resolving.
Also used to make a chord or chord progression more bluesy.
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31
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Dominant Seventh Chord with one or more notes added that are NOT part of
the parent scale. The Parent scale is the Ionian Major scale in which the
dominant seventh chord is the 5th degree. Notes that are not part of this scale
are added on top of the Dom 7th chord.
The fifth of the chord can also be lowered or raised (alt-5th = aug or dim)
: 1-3-5-b7-b9 (Dom 7b9th), 1-3-5-b7-#9 (Dom 7#9th), 1-3-5-b7-b13 (Dom 7b13th ),
1-3-b5-b7 (Dom 7b5), 1-3-#5-b7 (Dom 7#5)
: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, etc.
: Dom 7#9
Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)
: These chords have a lot of tension that wants to resolve. They can be used as
passing chords.
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33
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A 3 Note Major chord with the 5th of the chord lowered (diminished) or raised
(augmented). The diminished triad can be found as the 7th degree of an
Ionian Major scale. The augmented triad is a symmetric chord; its as stack
of three major third intervals. Each of the chord tones can function as the root.
: 1-3-b5 (dim), 1-3-#5 (aug)
: Blues, Jazz, Fusion, Latin etc.
: Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker), All My Lovin (The Beatles),
Mama Mia (ABBA), James Bond Theme.
: These chords are unstable and are not often used. They want to resolve.
34
Half-Diminished Chord
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Minor Triad with the 5th of the chord lowered (diminished) and an added
flatted seventh. The Half-Diminished 4 Note chord can be found as the 7th
degree of an Ionian Major scale and as 2nd degree chord in an Aeolian Minor
scale.
: 1-b3-b5-b7.
: Jazz-Blues, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, Latin etc.
: Autumn Leaves, Stella by Starlight, Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae),
Change The World (Eric Clapton), Free as a Bird (Beatles)
: These chords tend to only be used as a IIm7b5 chord in a ii-V7-I in minor.
Because these 4 notes are also part of the upper extension of Dominant
Ninth chord a major third lower than the root, it is also used as a replacement
for that chord.
35
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A Minor Triad with the 5th of the chord lowered (diminished) and an added
diminished seventh. This is a flatted flatted seventh.
This chord is symmetric; it is a stack of 4 minor third intervals on top of each
other.
: 1-b3-b5-bb7.
: Jazz-Blues, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, Latin etc.
: Michelle (The Beatles), bar 6 of a Jazz-Blues, What a Wonderful World
(Louis Armstrong), Need Your Love So Bad (Fleetwood Mac),
Love ME (Elvis)
: Often used as a substitution for a Dominant Seventh chord note lower.
If this Dominant seventh chord is extended with a flatted ninth to give
it tension, the top 4 notes of that chord form a diminished 7th chord.
36
Powerchords
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
Examples
When to use
: A stack of a root with a perfect fifth. Often one of these notes is doubled
(or both). Although technically a powerchord is an interval, because it only has
two different notes, these intervals are mostly referred to as powerchords.
: 1-5
: Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, etc.
: 11 AM (Incubus), Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), My Generation
(The Who), Knocking on Heavens Door (Guns & Roses Cover),
The Unforgiven (Metallica), Rumble (Link Wray), You Really Got Me
(The Kinks).
: Chord has no major or minor third and can be used as a replacement for both.
Because it has a limited color its often used in rough edged songs.
Too thicken up the chord, the fifth of the chord is sometimes doubled
in the bass.
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40
Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Sus4 and Sus2
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
When to use
41
Expanded Triads on 2nd , 3rd and 4th string: Sus4 and Sus2
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
When to use
42
Expanded Triads on 3rd , 4th and 5th string: Sus4 and Sus2
Definition
Chord Formula
Styles of Music
When to use
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45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
When to use
: Open position chord shapes that are moved up the neck and in
which open strings are kept ringing.
: several.
: Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: Saturday Night (Herman Brood & His Wild Romance), Sweet Bitter Blues
(Cephas and Wiggins), Homeward Bound and Scarborough Fair (Simon
and Garfunkel), Calling You Theme from Bagdad Caf (Jevetta Steel)
: As harmonic variations on open position chords. The open strings that
keep ringing often give the chord some extra color.
These chords can used to replace regular open position chords or provide
colorful substitutions for barre chords.
In some cases these chords are used on top of a pedal bass, to create
harmonic motion within a certain key. Because of their well known shape
these chords are easy to play.
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56
Chord Formula
Examples
Styles of Music
When to use
: Chords that are derived from barre chord with the tonic on the 6th or 5th string.
The barre played with the index finger is removed and only the root of the chord
is played with the index finger.
The rest of the fingers remain on the fretboard and the open strings are kept
ringing.
: several.
: Daughters (John Mayer), Sacrifice (Anouk), Sail Away (David Gray), Trouble
(Oasis), This Side (Nickel Creek), Joy (Janis Ian).
: Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: As harmonic variations on open position chords or barre chords
The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color.
These chords can used to replace regular open position chords or barre
chords.
The top open strings (E and B) create a pedal that can be heard throughout
a progression that uses several of these types of chords.
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58
Chord Formula
Examples
Styles of Music
When to use
: Chords that are derived from barre chord with the tonic on the 6th or 5th string.
The barre played with the index finger is removed and the low E string
rings open, together with the high E and B strings.
The rest of the fingers remain on the fretboard.
: several
: Melissa (Allman Brothers Band)
: Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: As harmonic variations on open position chords or barre chords
The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color.
These chords can used to replace regular open position chords or barre
chords or provide.
The top open strings (E and B) create a pedal that can be heard throughout
a progression that uses several of these types of chords.
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Chord Formula
Examples
Styles of Music
When to use
: Chords that occur in progressions where one or more notes keep ringing
throughout the progression. These notes are called pedal notes or pedal
points. Often these notes are open strings, but not always.
: several
: In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller),
You Oughta Know (Alanis Morisette), Crazy (Seal),
Superstition (Stevie Wonder), Relax (Frankie Goes To Hollywood).
: Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: To create a dissonant, dramatic effect or a sense of impending doom or
to glue chords together through one or more common tones.
The tonic and sometimes the fifth degree of a scale are the most likely pedals.
The pedal points can be the top note, the bass note or (very infrequently)
one of the inside notes of a chord / chord progression.
Examples G & D
Examples G
60
Examples D
Examples C
61
Examples A
62
Examples Low D
63
Examples E
Examples C
64
Examples Middle G
65
Styles of Music
When to use
: Chord that have a note in the bass (lowest sounding note) that is not the root.
: several
: G/B
Dust in the Wind (Kansas)
D/F#
Carolina (James Taylor)
A/C#
Here Comes The Sun (Beatles)
Am/G
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George Harrison)
E/G#
Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)
C/G
Kathys Song (Simon and Garfunkel)
Am9/G#
Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin)
: Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: To create a smooth bass line in a chord progression, introduce movement
on one chord or to color a chord.
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Chord Formula
Examples
Styles of Music
When to use
: Chords that have all the chord notes stacked as close together as possible,
often within the same octave. The voicings referred to here can contain two
notes that have an interval of note or 1 whole note between them.
The tension between these adjacent notes within the chord voicing produce
a chimey effect or tension. Often one of these notes is an open string.
: several
: Every Breath You Take & Message In A Bottle (The Police), Night Vision
(Suzanne Vega), Fade To Black (Metallica), Masterplan (Oasis),
Old Man (Neil Young), Scarborough Fair (Simon and Garfunkel version),
Stealing Hubcaps (Larry John McNally)
: Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Heavy Metal, Singer Songwriter, etc.
: To create a chord that has some tension and/or mesmerizing color / floating
feel.
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: Inversions of chords with a note in the bass that is not the root, third, fifth or
seventh.
: several
: Gone Fishing (Chris Rea), All Blues (Miles Davis), Enough To Be On Your Way
(James Taylor), Theme From Hill Street Blues (Mike Post).
: Pop, Singer Songwriter, Jazz, Fusion, etc.
: To create a chord that has some tension or to create a harmonic motion with
triads on top of a pedal note.
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Chord Formula
Examples
Styles of Music
When to use
: Western Pop Music is written with tertiary harmony, using the 1-3-5-7 formula
on each of the notes of a scale to create chords. This leads to stacks of
major and minor thirds.
In Quartal Harmony you use the formula 1-4-7-10 to create stacks of fourths.
This leads to suspended, add11 and add#11 chords. This makes it
difficult to establish a certain key.
Because the fourth interval is the compliment of a fifth interval, Quintal Harmony
(stacks of fifth interval) can be regarded as coming from the same family.
: several
: So What (Miles Davis), Intro to Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix), Zoot Allures
(Frank Zappa), The Cage (Charles Ives)
: Jazz, Fusion, Modern Classical, etc.
: Voice leading or modal jazz in which these chords are used to create melodies
within a certain harmonic context. Can also be used to color a chord within
tertiary harmony.
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Chord Harmony
A song is written in a certain key.
This key is the home base of the scale of notes that are being used in a song.
A scale is number of notes, stacked in a row in order of pitch from low to high.
A list of all possible notes we can play :
All notes
10
11
12
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Enharmonic
names*
Db
Eb
Gb
Ab
F#
Gb
E F
G#
Ab
A# B
Bb
Bb
Enharmonic names
these notes can have two names:
# means raised with note (C# is a raised C)
b means lowered with note (Db is a lowered D)
C C# D D# E
Db
Eb
Each scale is a subset of all these notes. Scales are made with a formula.
The scales we use mostly consist of 7 notes, with a set distance between each note.
This distance can be note (1 fret), a whole note (2 frets), 1 notes (3 frets), etc.
A major scale (a.k.a. an ionic scale) has the formula 2212221.
This means that
the distance between the first tone and the second tone is 2 x note = 1 whole note (2
frets).
the distance between the second and third tone is 2 x note = 1 whole note (2 frets).
the distance between the third and fourth note is 1 x note (1 fret). Etc.
You can create a major scale on every note on the fretboard.
If you start with a certain note and follow the formula, youll always end up with a major scale.
The note you start on is called the key.
E.g. if you are playing in the key of G major the notes (and the distance between them) would be :
G
A
2
B
2
C
1
D
2
E
2
F#
2
G
1
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The chords we use in Pop and Rock music come from the major (Ionian) scale or one of the Minor scales
(Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian). Well first take a look at chords derived from the Ionian Major scale
In Western Pop, Rock, Blues, Funk, etc. music we use what is called tertiary harmony.
This means that most common chords are stacks of third intervals; a major third (4x note or 4 frets) or a
minor third (3x note or 3 frets).
The chords we can build from an Ionian major scale can be found by taking each of the notes of the scale as the
root and using the formula 135. You skip a note up from the root (nr. 2) and add the one you land on (nr.3).
You do the same again, skipping nr.4 and adding the next (nr.5).
This will result in a chord with tertiary harmony; major chord and minor chords.
If you write down the scale, start at a note (tonic) and skip every other note, you end up with a chord.
E.g.
C=CDEFGABC.
Start at C (=1). The other chord notes are E(=3) and G (=5).
Start at D (=1). The other chord notes are F(=3) and G (=5).
Start at G (=1). The other chord notes are B(=3) and D (=5).
Note that when we calculate the 3 and 5, we do this relative to each of the tonics we chose (=1).
Depending on the distance in notes between the 1 and the 3,
we end up with a major chord (4 x note) or with a minor chord (3 x note).
If we calculate the chords for each scale, we end up with this chord table:
Key
I
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
ii
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
iii
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
IV
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
G
V
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
vi
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
vii
A#dim
D#dim
G#dim
C#dim
F#dim
Bdim
Edim
Adim
Ddim
Gdim
Cdim
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Chord
Notes in Chord
Substitute Chord
Notes in Chord
CEG
Am
ACE
FAC
Dm
DFA
GBD
Em
EGB
If a song only uses the 3note chords (triads) from the left six columns of the chord table, the resulting sound
can be described as folk, country, etc.
This is because there is a limited amount of tension in the chord progression; all the notes in all the chords
come from one key and we have not added any extensions to the chord.
Each of these chords has certain character which stems from the type of triad.
A major chord has the root, a major third and a perfect fifth.
Its chord formula is 135.
A minor chord has a root, a flatted third and a perfect fifth.
Its formula is 1b35.
The unstable chord built on the 7th note (degree) has a flatted third and a flatted fifth.
The chord formula for this chord is 1b3b5.
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Chord extensions
On top of the 3 note chords with the formulas 135 and 1b35 you can add notes.
The notes are called Extensions. They can give a chord more color.
These notes are added to the chord formula.
The most common extension is adding the 7th note in the scale up from each of the notes in the scale.
The formula we used to build chords on top of the scale notes was 135.
Skip one note up from the 5th note in the chord and add the one you land on.
The formula will become 1357 .
If we change the formula of the triad 135 to 1357 we end up with these chords:
Key
I maj7
Bmaj7
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
iim7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
Ebm7
iiim7
D#m7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
IVmaj7
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
Gmaj7
V7
vim7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
Ab7
viim7b5
A#m7b5
D#m7b5
G#m7b5
C#m7b5
F#m7b5
Bm7b5
Em7b5
Am7b5
Dm7b5
Gm7b5
Cm7b5
A
2
B
2
C
1
D
2
E
2
F#
2
G
1
Building a 4note chord with the formula 1357 would get you a chord with the notes G,B,D,F# .
Because the distance between the tonic G and the added note F# (the 7th from the scale) is 11 x note we call
this chord a major 7th chord or maj7 or 7.
The chord we end up with on the G tonic is a Gmaj7 .
77
Note: the maj in major 7th refers to the 7th note. It has nothing to do with if the chord is major or minor. A
chord is major or minor depending on the third of the chord.
Which means that there is actually a chord like Ammaj7.
Which is
an A minor chord with a C note in it, which is the flatted 3rd
(or 3 frets) above the tonic
and a major seventh, which is a G# (= 11 frets above the tonic).
If we remain in the key and build 4note chords with the 1357 method we end up
with 4 different chords, each with their own chord formula:
maj7th chords
m7 chords
7 chord
m7b5 chord
the triad is major and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 11 frets
Chord Formula: 1 3 5 7
the triad is minor and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 10 frets
Chord Formula: 1 b3 5 b7
the triad is major and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 10 frets
Chord Formula: 1 3 5 b7
not used in a major key: triad is minor, the fifth is lowered
and the distance between the tonic and the 7th note is 10 frets.
Chord Formula: 1 b3 b5 b7
Notes in Chord
Substitute Chord
Notes in Chord
C maj7
CEGB
Am7
ACEG
F maj7
FACE
Dm7
DFAC
G7
GBDF
Em7
EGBD
Songs with 4note chords have more color. Modern pop songs, jazz and blues use these chords.
78
Chord Formulas
Each chord has a chord formula. The sound a certain chord has stems from this formula.
Two chords with the same formula, built on different roots, will have the same character / color / flavor.
Because we mostly use tertiary harmony in Western Pop and Rock music most chord will have chord formulas
like 135 or 1b35 or 1357, etc. But other formulas are possible too, each resulting in their own specific
sound.
A chord with the formula 135b79 is called a dominant ninth chord.
A chord with the formula 125 is a sus2 chord and the chord formula 145 results in a sus4 chord.
The numbers in these formulas refer to the distance between the root of the chord and the note you add. The
number 4 for instance refers to the distance of a perfect fourth which is 5 frets.
Weve seen that the number 3 means the chord has a major third in it, meaning 4 frets up from the root.
79
This is a table of the numbers, the intervals they result in and the name.
Number in Chord
Formula
Name of Interval
Unison
b2
Minor Second
Major Second
b3
Minor Third
Major Third
Perfect Fourth
#4 / b5
Augmented Fourth
Diminished Fifth
Perfect Fifth
#5 / b6
Augmented Fifth
Minor Sixth
Major Sixth
b7
10
Minor Seventh
11
Major Seventh
12
Octave
b9
13
Minor Ninth
14
Major Ninth
#9
15
Augmented Ninth
11
17
Eleventh
#11
18
Augmented Eleventh
b13
10
20
Diminished Thirteenth
13
10
21
Thirteenth
#13
11
22
Augmented Thirteenth
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Name
Chord Formula
Major
135
Major 6th
1356
Maj7, 7
Major 7th
1357
Major 9th
13579
add 9
1359
6/9
Major 6 / 9th
13569
7/6
13567
7/ #11
1357#11
13
Major 13th
1357913
Note: Whenever the number 7 shows up in a chord formula, one needs to be careful.
In the formulas above the 7 means the major seventh; 11 frets up from the root.
In the notation C7 the 7th is actually a flatted seventh; 10 frets up from the root.
The chord formula for a C7 = 135b7
81
Name
Chord Formula
Minor
1b35
m6
Minor 6th
1b356
m7
Minor 7th
1b35b7
m9
Minor 9th
1b35b79
m 11
Minor 11th
1b35b7911
m7/11
Minor 7 / 11th
1b35b711
m add9th
1b359
m 7
1b357
m6/9
1b3569
Name
Chord Formula
Dominant 7th
135b7
7/6
1356b7
7 sus4
145b7
7/11
135b711
Dominant 9th
135b79
11
Dominant 11th
135b7911
13
Dominant 13th
135b7913
7b9
1b35b7b9
7#9
1b35b7#9
7b13
135b79b13
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Name
Chord Formula
dim
Diminished Triad
1b3b5
aug
Augmented Triad
13#5
dim 7, o
Diminished 7th
1b3b5bb7
aug 7
Augmented 7th
13#5b7
sus2
Suspended 2nd
125
sus4
Suspended 4th
145
m7b5 ,
Half Diminished
1b3b5b7
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Chord Progressions
Chord progressions consist of a number of chords, taken from one or more scales.
The I, IV and V chord are the most important chords in a major key.
The others can be added for variation.
In pop songs the chords can move freely from one to the other, with a few rules of thumb:
generally the last chord in a song is the tonic / key in which the song is written*
the strongest chord progression is from the V chord to the I chord
if you add notes to a chord from a different scale, youll be playing a chord from a different scale
adding chords from a different scale adds tension to a progression
* Were not looking at songs that change key (modulate) just yet.
The VI progression in the key of G would be a DG or a D7G or a DGmaj7, etc.
The relationship the tonics of these chords have, is the bases for this tension/resolution.
Even a DmG or DmG are relatively strong chord progressions.
The strength of the V I progression and the amount of tension / release depends on the types of chords
involved.
Generally a major chord as a V chord wants to resolve more than a minor.
This makes the D G a stronger progression than a Dm G.
And a dominant 7th chord as a V chord wants to resolve even more.
This makes a D7 G an even stronger progression.
Anytime you have a VI chord progression, youll have some tension / resolution.
The distance between the tonic of the V chord and the tonic of the I chord is 5 x note (5 frets).
Anytime there is a distance of 5 x note between the roots of two chords, we have a strong chord
progression.
In a major scale 5 of the 6 chords we use in pop music can function as a V chord for some I chord.
And even the m7b5 chord on the 7th degree can function as a V chord
The key of G has the notes G, A, B, C , D, E and F#.
In the key of G the distance between the G note and the C note is 5 x note
the A note and the D note is 5 x note
the B note and the E note is 5 x note
the D note and the G note is 5 x note
the E note and the A note is 5 x note.
the F# note and the B note is 5 x note
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Any progression between chords that are built on a pair of these roots (GC,AD,BE,DG,EA and F#B) will have
a strong tension/resolution .
This means that in the key of G:
Both the IIV progression and the VI progression use major chords.
The first chord being major makes for a stronger tension/resolution than if the first chord would be minor.
If we change the minor chord into major in one of the strong progressions described above, well be creating
an even stronger progression.
To change a minor chord to major we need to raise the flatted 3rd of that chord by note. This makes the
distance between the tonic and the third of the chord 4 x note (4 frets). The chord will become a major
chord.
In the key of G this would mean:
Chord
iim
iiim
vim
viim **
Name
Am
Bm
Em
F# m
Notes in chord
ACE
B D F#
EGB
F# A C#
Flatted 3rd
C
D
G
A
**
Result
A C# E
B D# F#
E G# B
F# A# C#
Name
A
B
E
F#
Chord
II
III
VI
VII
th
85
When this chord substitution is used, the melody/solo needs to be adjusted accordingly.
Most often on the chord that is made major, the melody cant hold the flatted third of that chord anymore,
because the chord in the backing contains the major third.
This type of chord substitution is often used to modulate (temporarily) to a different key.
Examples:
G C D G E Am The first four chords are in the key of G. The E makes for a strong
tension / resolution to Am. If the chord progression stays on Am
for a few bars, youll start to feel the Am as the I chord. The chord
progression has modulated.
Adding chords from the minor key with the same root
Modern pop, folk and rock music is rooted in the blues.
Blues is a mixture of major and minor keys.
A clich blues progression is 12 bars long and uses three major chords, almost always played as dominant 7th
chords, e.g. G7. These are the I7, IV7 and V7 chords.
In a major key we only have a dominant 7th chord on the V chord, e.g. D7 in the key of G major.
This means that on the I and IV chord, were introducing notes that are not part of the major scale.
In a blues in the key of G we would play a G7, which has an F note in it, and a C7, which has a Bb note in it.
Both the F and Bb are not part of the G major scale.
On top of that were playing melodies that use notes out of the G minor pentatonic scale.
Its a minor scale (meaning it has a flatted third in it) and it only has five notes instead of the seven a regular
major or minor scale has (penta is Greek for five).
Because many pop and rock songs use blues elements, well see chords out of the minor scale with the same
root show up in a major chord progression.
In the key of G major well encounter chords out of the key of G minor.
The key of Gm has the same chords as the key of Bb major (see diagram section Chords in Minor Keys).
Key of G
Key of Bb
Key of Gm
G
Bb
Gm
Am
Cm
Adim
Bm
Dm
Bb
C
Eb
Cm
D
F
Dm
Em
Gm
Eb
F#dim
Adim
F
G
Bb
Gm
87
If we compare these keys and study which chords can be added to the major key out of the minor key, we end
up with:
Gm
Adim
Bb
Cm
Dm
Eb
F
not used often, because this means a modulation from major to minor
not used
this is the bIII major chord in relation to the key of G major
this is the IVm chord in relation to the key of G major; not often used, has a
very sad effect
this is the Vm chord in relation to the key of G major; not often used, has a
sad effect.
this is the bVI major chord in relation to the key of G major
this is the bVII major chord in relation to the key of G major
The result is that we can add the bIII, bVI and bVII chord to a major key to give the chord progression a rocky,
bluesy sound.
To get this weve used the chords out of the minor scale with the same root
and added them to the major scale
In modern pop / rock music we dont often play extensions on these chords .
If we do play them they are also taken out of the minor scale, so bIII7, bVI7 and bVII7 .
Borrowing these chords from the minor scale with the same root results in playing in mixed mode.
In the key of G we would replace the F#m by the F# and / or the F#7.
88
Mixed Mode
ii
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
iii
D#
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
IV
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
G
V
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
vi
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
vii
A#dim
D#dim
G#dim
C#dim
F#dim
Bdim
Edim
Adim
Ddim
Gdim
Cdim
bIII
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
B
E
bVI
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
B
E
A
Min Maj
bVII
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
B
II
C#
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
III
D#
G#
C#
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
VI
G#
C#
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Maj Min
Dim Min
iv
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
Abm
Dbm
Gm
A#m
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
v
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
Abm
vii
Mixed Mode
iim7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
Ebm7
iiim7
D#m7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
IVmaj7
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
Gmaj7
V7
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
Ab7
vim7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
viim7b5
A#m7b5
D#m7b5
G#m7b5
C#m7b5
F#m7b5
Bm7b5
Em7b5
Am7b5
Dm7b5
Gm7b5
Cm7b5
bIII
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
B
E
bVI
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
B
E
A
bVII
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
B
Min Dom
II7
C#7
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
III7
D#7
G#7
C#7
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
VI7
G#7
C#7
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Maj Min
iv7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
Ebm7
Abm7
Dbm7
Gm7
v7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
Ebm7
Abm7
DimMaj
VII / VII7
A# / A#7
D# / D#7
G# / G#7
C# / C#7
F# / F#7
B / B7
E / E7
A / A7
D / D7
G / G7
C / C7
89
This is a list of all the chords you can build with notes from the Ionian Major scales.
E.g. : C major scale: C,D,E,F,G,A and B . Chords in C Ionian: C,Dm,Em,F,G,Am and Bdim.
Key (major)
I
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
ii
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
iii
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
IV
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
G
V
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
vi
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
vii
A#dim
D#dim
G#dim
C#dim
F#dim
Bdim
Edim
Adim
Ddim
Gdim
Cdim
If we list these chords starting and ending on the 6th degree, well have a list of all
the chords of the Aeolian minor scales.
E.g. A Aeolian Minor: A,B,C,D,E,F and G. Chords in A Aeolian: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em ,F and G.
Key (Aeolian minor)
i
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
ii *
A#dim
D#dim
G#dim
C#dim
F#dim
Bdim
Edim
Adim
Ddim
Gdim
Cdim
III
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
iv
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
V
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
VI
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
G
VII
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
We can see that the chords on the 1st, 4th and 5th note are now minor
and the chords on the 3rd, 6th and 7th degree are major.
nd
* The chord on the 2 degree is a dim chord. Contrary to the major scale, this odd chord will
sometimes be used, predominantly in jazz. It will be played as a 4note chord in a iiVi
progression in minor. The chord will be a m7b5 chord. In pop and rock we dont encounter this
chord.
90
This is a list of 4note chords built on the notes of the Aeolian minor scales:
Key (Aeolian minor)
im7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
iim7b5
A#m7b5
D#m7b5
G#m7b5
C#m7b5
F#m7b5
Bm7b5
Em7b5
Am7b5
Dm7b5
Gm7b5
Cm7b5
III maj7
Bmaj7
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
ivm7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
Ebm7
vim7
D#m7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
VImaj7
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
Gmaj7
VII7
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
Ab7
= 2 x note (2 frets)
= 3 x note (3 frets)
= 5 x note (5 frets)
= 7 x note (7 frets)
= 8 x note (8 frets)
= 9x note (9 frets)
The Ionian Major scale has a formula: 2,2,1,2,2,2,1 that describes the intervals between each note of
the scale.
This formula makes for a certain type of sound, in this case the Doe a Deer, a Female Deer, Ray, a
drop of Golden sun, sound.
Each set of notes that has this formula will be an Ionian Major scale.
The Aeolian Minor scale also has a formula: 2,1,2,2,1,2,2. Each set of notes that has this formula will
sound like and is an Aeolian Minor scale.
91
92
Getting rid of the odd dim chord on the 2nd degree in a minor scale means raising its fifth with note.
The consequence is that we end up with a iim and a IV chord.
Key (Dorian minor)
i
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
ii *
A#m
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
III
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
iv
C#
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
V
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
VI
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
VII
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
iim7b5
A#m7
D#m7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
III maj7
maj7
B
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
ivm7
7
C#
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
vim7
D#m7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
VImaj7
maj7
E
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
Gbmaj7
VII7
7
F#
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
Ab7
93
94
ii *
A#dim
D#dim
G#dim
C#dim
F#dim
Bdim
Edim
Adim
Ddim
Gdim
Cdim
III
iv
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
Fm
Bbm
Ebm
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
V
D#m / D#
G#m / G#
C#m / C#
F#m / F#
Bm / B
Em / E
Am / A
Dm / D
Gm / G
Cm / C
Fm / F
VI
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
G
VII
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
G#m
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
iim7b5
A#m7b5
D#m7b5
G#m7b5
C#m7b5
F#m7b5
Bm7b5
Em7b5
Am7b5
Dm7b5
Gm7b5
Cm7b5
III maj7
ivm7
maj7
B
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
C#m
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
Ebm7
vim7
D#m7 /D#7
G#m7 / G#7
C#m7 / C#7
F#m7 /F#7
Bm7 / B7
Em7 / E7
Am7 / A7
Dm7 / D7
Gm7 / G7
Cm7 / C7
Fm7 / F7
VImaj7
maj7
E
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
Gbmaj7
VII7
7
F#
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
Ab7
ii *
A#m
D#m
G#m
C#m
F#m
Bm
Em
Am
Dm
Gm
Cm
III
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
iv
C#
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
V
D#m / D#
G#m / G#
C#m / C#
F#m / F#
Bm / B
Em / E
Am / A
Dm / D
Gm / G
Cm / C
Fm / F
VI
E
A
D
G
C
F#
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
VII
F#
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
95
G#m
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
Fm7
Bbm7
iim7b5
7
A#m
D#m7
G#m7
C#m7
F#m7
Bm7
Em7
Am7
Dm7
Gm7
Cm7
III maj7
maj7
B
Emaj7
Amaj7
Dmaj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
ivm7
7
C#
F#7
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
vim7
7
D#m / D#7
G#m7 / G#7
C#m7 / C#7
F#m7 / F7
Bm7 / B7
Em7 / E7
Am7 / A7
Dm7 / D7
Gm7 / G7
Cm7 / C7
Fm7 / F7
VImaj7
maj7
E
Amaj7
Dmajj7
Gmaj7
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bbmaj7
Ebmaj7
Abmaj7
Dbmaj7
Gbmaj7
VII7
7
F#
B7
E7
A7
D7
G7
C7
F7
Bb7
Eb7
Ab7
96
97
Modulate to
vim chord
Am
Em
Bm
F#m
C#m
Dm
Bb
Gm
Eb
Cm
98
How to modulate
It feels like weve modulated to a different key if for a longer period in the chord progression, the
chords revolve around a different home base.
Staying on one chord that is not the Ichord for a longer period of time can achieve this feeling.
In a progression in the key of C, this would happen if you play an Am for four or eight bars in a row.
Am would start to feel as the new key.
This feel of a new home base would also happen if Am is played and the other chords that follow have
a IV or V relationship to the new home base, instead of the original key.
In the key of C the IV and V chord are F and G. Both these chords have a strong relationship with
the I chord.
All the other chords (iim, iiim and vim) can be used as substitutes for the I,IV and V. Their relationship
with the original tonic is weaker.
By moving to a new home base (modulating) these relationships change.
The new key will have a different IV and V chord and have different strong / weak relationships.
Youll feel a new home base when a song moves from the original key to its relative major or minor
and expresses the new key, by making use of its new IV and V chord.
In a progression in C this would mean playing an Am chord and having the chord progression revolve
around Am, Dm, and Em. These chords would start to feel as a new I, IV and V chord in the key of Am.
The same could happen vise versa.
If the original key is Am, the chords in the progression would predominantly be Am, Dm and Em.
These are the I,IV and V in the key of Am.
You would feel like youve modulated, if the chord progression revolves around C, F and G for a
number of bars. These are the I, IV and V chords in the relative major key of Am; C major.
Note: weve seen that there are more than one minor scales that all have alternative chords.
The most common being the V chord made major (originally its a minor chord), the IV chord made major (was minor) and
the II diminished chord made minor.
In chord progressions in a minor key, these alternative chords can show up.
All the above applies to all these minor scales, their chords and alternative chords in the minor progressions.
99
The V I modulation
A modulation is often introduced by preceding a new Ichord with its V chord.
If were modulating to the relative minor (C Am) we can precede the new Ichord by its V chord,
which is the iii chord in the original key (3rd degree in C = Em; Em = 5th degree in Am).
This chord is almost always made major (or even dominant) to make the modulation feel stronger.
The Em chord would be replaced by an E major or an E7 chord.
In a minor key you can accentuate a modulation to the relative major by preceding it with its V chord,
which is the VII chord in minor.
In the key of Am the relative major is C. Its V chord is a G.
Intended Modulation
I vim
C Am
im III
Am C
I iiim vim
C Em Am
im VI III
Am G C
Accentuate
modulation
I III vim
C E Am
same
same
Accentuate
modulation more
I III7 vim
C E7 Am
im VI7 III
Am G7 C
The V I modulation where the V chord is major or dominant feels more satisfying and makes the key
change more obvious.
A V chord can resolve to a major OR minor chord
A V chord can resolve to a major OR a minor chord.
E resolves to A because its the V chord in the key of A major. But E or E7 can also function as a V chord
in the key of Am.
Originally the V chord in a minor key is minor (Em in the key of Am).
But we can alter that chord to a major chord to make the progression stronger.
This means that E can resolve to A or Am.
This means that any V chord can resolve to a major or minor chord.
This feature can be used to modulate to a different key.
Any major chord can function as a V chord to introduce a modulation
A dominant chord is even stronger
100
In the progressions above we modulated to the relative minor / major by means of a major chord
(dominant chord) that was the V chord in the new key.
If the target chord can be altered from major to minor and vise versa we end up with these possible
modulations:
Intended Modulation
I vim
I VI
C Am
CA
im III
im iiim
Am C
Am Cm
I iiim vim
I iiim VI
C Em Am
C Em A
im VI III
im VI iiim
Am G C
Am G Cm
Accentuate
modulation
I III vim
I III VI
C E Am
CEA
same
same
Accentuate
modulation more
I III7 vim
I III7 VI
C E7 Am
C E7 A
im VI7 III
im VI7 III
Am G7 C
Am G7 Cm