| | | Hey Friend,
I've explained before that guitar chords are based on specific scales. I've also talked about chord progressions - the chords that work together naturally to build songs.
Have you ever given any thought about the correlation of scales and chords? Like how scales might actually define the chords we can use to build chord progressions?
I have to say that personally, when I was first learning guitar and well into playing in bands, I never once made the connection of scales and chords in my brain.
In fact, the first time I really remember the term "scale" was when I learned the minor pentatonic scale. By that time I had already been playing in a couple different bands.
What we're going to cover this week isn't "must know" information. You don't need it. But the more you understand about how music works, the more you'll appreciate what you can play on your guitar. So let's get down to it...
The truth is, when we look at scales and chords, we need to dig a little deeper and address the thing that defines which scales and chords we use in musical situations.
That thing is the musical "key."
Think of the key like a set of universal rules. If you use the rules correctly, the music will sound correct. If you break the rules, your ears - and those of everyone around you - are going to protest against the noise coming out of your guitar.
The key tells you which notes belong in a scale based on the distance from the root note of the key, which is also called the tonic. For example, if you play a song that is written in the key of C major, each note in the C major scale is a specific distance from the C note (the root/tonic). They call these distances "intervals" but we're not going to focus on that topic today.
Additionally, there's a specific pattern of spaces between each note in the major scale, regardless of which major scale you're playing. That helps to keep it simple because you only have to remember one pattern. That pattern works for every major scale out there.
Each letter chord you play is named after the key that defines it. The C chord is named after the key of C major. The D chord is named after the key of D major. Etcetera...
Whatever the chord letter happens to be, that is the key to use to figure out what notes belong in that chord.
Let's apply that idea.
If a song is written in the key of C major, there are certain chords that work well within the key. In fact, here are the primary chords that are possible using the C major scale from the key of C major:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim
Now here's the interesting thing. The notes that make up the C major scale are also the notes that each of these chords are made from. What I mean is, the exact notes from the C major scale are the only notes you need to make every chord that I just listed. True, each of these chords is based on a different key (the same as their letter), but the notes we need for each chord in the key of C major can be found in the C major scale.
Let's compare the C major chord with the D minor chord.
We make the C major chord by taking the C major scale and selecting the first, third and fifth notes from that scale:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C
C major chord: C, E and G
The D minor chord is made from the D major scale. But because it is a minor chord, the three note from the D major scale is flatted (your finger goes down one fret towards the nut on your guitar).
Here's the D major scale:
D, E, F#, G, A, B, C# and D.
The D minor chord uses the one, flatted-three and five notes. Take the D, F# and A notes, flatten the F# so it becomes F, and that gives you the notes D, F and A.
Now look at the notes from the C major scale. Do you see that if you start building the chord with the D note (D is the one note for the D chord) and count over to the three and five notes, you get D, F and A? Because our song is in the key of C major, the notes from that key also tell us the exact notes we need for the chords for the key.
Okay, you might think that was a coincidence. So let's do another one...
The A minor chord is the sixth chord in the key of C major. The notes for the A major chord are A, C# and E, but we need an A minor chord. Again, flatten the three note from the scale and you get A, C and E - the notes from the key of C major. Check it out.
C major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A (scales continue to repeat themselves up and down the guitar neck)
A major scale: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A
Again, this works for each chord in the key of C major.
Start with the first note of the chord in question and then work the pattern of first, third and fifth notes from that starting note. Use that root note to determine what key the chord is from and you know the scale.
If this all seems too complicated, fear not. Like I said, you don't have to know this stuff.
The problem with being human is, as soon as we get a taste of something good, we usually want more and continue to dig in. Don't worry, your ears will naturally tell you when things don't sound right.
Let me know if something doesn't make sense. Have a great weekend!
Peace~
Dave
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