Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: chast Sep 8 2007, 06:41 AM

Hi Andrew,

I have a small question. Lets say I am in the Key of C-Minor, just for example.
So the natural minor scale is:

C D D# F G G# A#


Can I also play the chords (C D D# F G# A#)-minor if I am in the key of C-minor ?

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Sep 8 2007, 09:42 AM

Hi there ...

A couple of things. First it is traditional in diatonic scales to only name each note (sharp flat or normal) once. So although you got all the right notes, it is more correct to write them as:

C D Eb F G Ab Bb - see, every note out of the 7 whole tones is represented. A minor point that, just convention really.

Right, now into the meat of your question. The notes of the scale give you the root notes of all the chords you can use, but it is more complex than just taking the root and calling it a minor chord. What you actually have to do is make chords out of the notes in the scale and then work out what they actually are. As a quick example:

Start with C, we can make chords by taking every other note. We would get C Eb G - a chord of C minor. If we started with Eb instead, we would get Eb G Bb - a chord of Eb major! You can do this for each note in the scale to get a list of characteristic chords for that scale.

That wwas a quick explanation, the full version is in my lesson http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=3630.

Posted by: chast Sep 8 2007, 09:56 AM

Thank you Andrew for replying so fast
With the Chords for Scales lesson I will have to read enough for the next days
If I have some more question, I will ask, so be prepared

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Sep 8 2007, 09:57 AM

I'll brace myself ...