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Scales and chords II
You can apply this sequence (I - ii(m) - iii(m) - IV - V - vi(m) - vii(dim) ) to other major scales. Note: major scales only! We'll look at minor scales later.
As example, let's look at the scale of F major:
We add the chord types:
Concluding: in the scale of F major there are the following chords:
F - Gm - Am - Bb - C - Dm - Edim
From major to minor
In part one of this course you learned that major and minor are much the same. Every major scale has a
parallel minor scale. C major and A minor are the same, just as F major and D minor are the same, and so on.
When you start at the sixth note of a major scale (the "A" in C major), you have a minor scale (so C major and A
minor have the same tones, remember? If not, please review part one of this course!)
The only thing we have to do to know the chords that belong to a minor scale, is to start the sequence at the sixth note. The pattern for minor scales is:
i(m) - ii(dim) - III - iv(m) - v(m) - VI - VII
If you look at the scale (and key, it's practically the same...) of A minor, you'll have the following tones:
A - B - C - D - E - F - G
With the minor pattern applied you'll get these chords:
Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F, G
This is how they sound:
I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and I again.
So... the chords of the key of A minor and C major are the same. Just as the tones of these two keys are the same. Only the starting tones of the scale and key differ (the ground tone/tonica): a composition in C major is "home" on the C, a composition in A minor is "home" on A.
Recap
Before we continue a recap.
- A chord is three or more different tones
- A triad is a chord of three tones
- A triad is built using two thirds
- You can built chords using a scale
- A scale belongs to a key. The chords you built using that scale belong to the same key.
- If the scale is major, these are the chords: I - ii(m) - iii(m) - IV - V - vi(m) - vii(dim)
- If the scale is minor, these are the chords: i(m) - ii(dim) - III - iv(m) - v(m) - VI - VII
Next, lets's look at even more interesting chords: chords with four tones, the "7-chords"!
