Chord Scales

Chords can be built from any scale by stacking thirds from each degree of the scale
(eg C E G)

By doing this process for any major scale we get 7 chords (one for each degree)

I major - ii minor - iii minor - IV major - V major - vi minor - vii diminished (Major
chords are denoted by capital roman numbers and minor chords in small case)

Eg. in D major the chords will be

D maj, E min, F# min, G maj, A maj, B min and C# dim

Chord Functions

The chord type for each degree of any major scale will always be the same - ie the
chord from the 3rd note will always be a minor chord, the chord from the 4th note will
always be major.
But what is important to understand is that we must analyse the chord ‘function’ -
there are 3 minor chords in our chord scale but the ii minor, iii minor and vi minor are
performing different functions

This brings us to chord progressions

Chord Progressions

Songs are usually in one key (the root / tonic) and a specific scale.

When working within the major scale, we can use some rules to help us determine
which chords can be used and what their function could be.

The chords available can be extracted using the chord scale method.

Examples of chords progressions : I-IV-V, I-vi-IV-V - so in the key of C - melodies

using the C major scale can be used with any chord from the C major scale in an
order (progression) of our choosing

A nice intro to common chord progressions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HdZ3c1ojoI

Here is a good site to hear chords progressions found in popular songs using a
major scale as the basis
https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/common-chord-progressions

MODES:

In actuality we can get 7 different scales from the major scale alone, by starting the
scale on different degrees. These seven scales each have a different formula of the
space between the consecutive notes (degrees) and thus give us different moods
and flavours.

These scales derived from the major scale are called : Modes

Eg. the C major Modes are

1. Ionian Mode : C D E F G A B C (the regular major scale)

2. Dorian Mode : D E F G A B C D (flat 3rd, flat 7th)

3. Phrygian Mode : E F G A B C D E (flat 2nd, flat 3rd, flat 6th, flat 7th)

4. Lydian Mode : F G A B C D E F (sharp 4th)

5. Mixolydian Mode : G A B C D E F G (flat 7th)

6. Aeolian Mode : A B C D E F G A (flat 3rd, flat 6th and flat 7th - this is also known
as the natural minor scale / also : for C —> A is its relative minor i.e. the scale
starting from the 6th note)

7. Locrian Mode : B C D E F G A B (flat 2nd, flat 3rd, flat 5, flat 6, flat 7)

** note - the formulae for these scales can be derived by comparing them to their
own major scales

In this way a piece of music could be in any key and any mode and it will relate to its
‘relative’ major key.

eg. for G major : G A B C D E F# G

A Dorian would be : A B C D E F# G A

B Phrygian would be : B C D E F# G A B

and so on…

Ultimately however the real purpose of modes is that we get 7 scales (each
with a unique sound and feel due to the unique set of intervals present within
it) derived from the major scale.
To really ‘hear’ the character of each mode we should build all 7 modes from one
key.

In the key of C. The 7 modes would be

IONIAN (major scale) : C D E F G A B C

DORIAN (b3, b7) : C D Eb F G A Bb C

PHRYGIAN (b2, b3, b6, b7) : C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C

LYDIAN (#4) : C D E F# G A B C

MIXOLYDIAN (b7) : C D E F G A Bb C

AELOIAN (b3, b6, b7) : C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

LOCRIAN (B2, b3, b5, b6, b7) : C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C

The application of modes is tied into the use of chords.

We can apply the knowledge of the 7 chords built from the major scale and
juxtapose them onto the relevant mode.

Remember —> the chord function associated with the notes in the major scale don’t
change. We just shift the starting point depending on which mode we are in.

Eg. Lydian is the 4th mode - ie the major scale starting from the 4th note OR to look
at it another way - 4 5 6 7 1 2 3

—> so we begin the chord scale from the 4th chord being our ‘home chord’

For C Lydian, we get :

C maj, D maj OR D7, Em, F# dim, G maj, Am, Bm

Now we can use these chords in different orders or progressions and make melodies
in the Lydian mode on top.

Just like this we can

1. Ionian:

D Ionian: Ode To Joy - Beethoven

B Ionian: Always With Me, Always With You - Joe Satriani

2. Dorian:
D and Eb Dorian: So What - Miles Davis (melody is in the bass line)
E Dorian: Riders On the Storm - The Doors
E Dorian: Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel
E Dorian: Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles

3. Phrygian:

A Phrygian: Mr. Man - Alicia Keys (melody also uses harmonic minor on
the V chord)
C Bemsha Swing - Thelonious Monk
F# Phrygian: White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane

4. Lydian:

Theme music from The Simpsons and the Jetsons

C lydian: Flying In A Blue Dream - Joe Satriani
D Lydian: Oceans - Pearl Jam

5. Mixolydian:

E Mixolydian: Norwegian Wood - The Beatles

D Mixolydian or G Ionian: Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Db Mixolydian: Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns 'n Roses (solo section in Eb
Aeolian)

6. Aeolian:

A Aeolian: Losing My Religion - R.E.M.

B Aeolian: Building a Mystery - Sara McLachlan
C Aeolian: You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi
C Aeolian: Sweet Dreams" - the Eurythmics or Marilyn Manson
D Aeolian: Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

7. Locrian (added by akmbirch)

British folk song artist, John Kirkpatrick, "Probably the only song in the
revival repertoire written in the Locrian mode "Dust To Dust":

MINOR SCALES
There are 3 types of minor scales

We have already seen the natural minor scale (or Aeloian mode)

The chord scales from a natural minor will be

I min - ii dim - III maj - iv min - V min - VI maj - VII dom / maj

Harmonic Minor : The 7th degree from the natural minor scale is sharpened (to make
it a major 7th interval)

A Natural Minor : A B C D E F G A

A Harmonic Minor : A B C D E F G# A

The harmonic minor is used to make the 5th chord a major chord and make chord
progressions easier (as the 5 chord being a major helps when removing back to the
1 chord)

Eg. in Am : Am Dm Em Am sounds ok, but Am Dm E Am has a more clear resolution

(because we have changed the Em (EGB) to E major (EG#B).

Very often the harmonic minor is used only when this shift to the 5 chord happens.

Note: There are much more advanced uses of the harmonic minor in jazz music but
for the moment this much information about this scale is sufficient.

A good eg. is the song Wild World (Mr Big’s version) which is in Dm. The last chord
in the progression uses A major instead of Am (which would be the normal 5 chord
for D natural minor).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za9LY6Q3EuI

Melodic minor : The 6th and 7th degrees are raised

A Natural Minor : A B C D E F G A

A Melodic Minor : A B C D E F# G# A

The natural minor is only used while ascending. When descending, the natural minor
is used.

Now the chords we can use change their function (ie the vi minor now becomes a
Iminor

Here is a good link for using chord progressions in minor keys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-j4g0ktPGw
PENTATONIC SCALES

Pentatonic Scales use only 5 notes in the scale. They have a distinct sound as they
sound more melodic (as opposed to linear) by virtue of the fact that they skip some
degrees compared to a normal 7 note scale. Pentatonic scales have been around in
all musical cultures and are very common in rock and pop music.

Minor Pentatonic : 1 3b 4 5 7b

Major Pentatonic : 1 2 3 5 6

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/five-notes-will-change-your-life-pentatonic-scales/

http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/pentatonic-scale/

A Pentatonic scale will work on most chord progressions (keeping in mind whether
its a major or minor key and playing the appropriate pentatonic scale)

The pentatonic scale is most famous for the way its used in blues music.

12 BAR BLUES

The Blues is a style of music which came out of the African American culture and t
became the foundation for all modern rock, pop, R n B and jazz music.

A very common chord progression used in rock and jazz music is the 12 Bar blues
chord progression.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V

You can play a 12 bar blues progression in a major or minor key

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ssUzqWwqA

Some famous songs in 12 bar blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFo8-JqzSCM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lncr2g9XJHU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt0mg8Z09SY

The typical 12 bar blues uses only the Dominant (seventh) chord type and uses the I
IV and V chords
So in G we would get

G7 G7 G7 G7

C7 C7 G7 G7

D7 C7 G7 D7

http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/blues-definition/

A blues based chord progression using the pentatonic scales for making melodies
and improvising is a very common way to write songs

RHYTHM

Music tends to have a steady tempo to it, often measured in "beats per minute". A
simple observation is that most music is in the range of 50-200 beats per minute, the
same as the extreme range of our heartbeats. In general too, the tempo of a piece of
music roughly equates with the heartbeat associated with the corresponding physical
state or emotion which the music suggests.

Tempo is the pulse of the music (the speed) and it is measured as Beats Per
Minute : BPM

Rhythm / bars and structure

The basic unit we use to count cycles in music is called a bar. People often use the
term 4 cycles of the intro and then 16 cycles in the verse etc .. what we mean is 4
bars or 16 bars

Inside a bar we therefore have a certain amount of space to fill with notes and to
leave spaces. Both the notes and spaces can be of different lengths - play an
example

For this we need to know how note duration works.

Note divisions and lengths

Music itself is moving along in time .. but we need to be able to visualise the music in
some way like reading words on a page.

We need to know exactly ‘when’ and for ‘how long’ a note is to be played.

For note divisions and length please see the link : http://www.musictheory.net/
lessons/11

Time signature

The Time Signature determines the amount of notes that can fit into a bar and what
rhythm the song follows. It is written as a fraction eg. 4/4 or 3/4 or 7/8.

The top number tells us how many notes can fit in the bar and the lower number tells
us what type of note.

So 4/4 means 4 quarter (1/4) notes.

7/8 means 7 eighth (1/8) notes.

* note - time signatures can change in a piece of music.

For Measures and Time Signatures : http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/12

Here are some examples of pieces of music in different time signatures.

3/4 : waltz, Bob Dylan - the times they are a changing

6/8 : house of the rising sun, nothing else matters

5/4 : mission impossible, take 5

7 - a lot of Indian, Afghani music, qawwali etc is in 7 (‘Hey Kangana’, coke studio)

7/4 : Money (Pink Floyd)

7/8 : Ruby love (Cat Stevens), Piya Tose Naina Laage Re

In Indian Classical music 7/8 is often counted as 1-2-3 1-2 1-2 (Rupak Taal)