I am familiar with playing in different keys. I understand the practice but am blank on the theory or the reasons why.
For example a song in the key of G would have some or all of these chords: G, C, D, A minor, B minor, E minor. Those chords sound 'right' - the same with equivalent chords in different keys - but I can't get an understanding why, the chord E minor for example, works so well whereas F minor is unlikely to work in that key [G major].
My technical and theory knowledge is minimal so any help or guidance, in showing me the whys of chords and their relationship with each other, will be very much appreciated. Thanks
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
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So in G major your scale goes G A B C D E F#. So, generally speaking, any chord that contains those will sound "right" within that key.
e.g.
A minor - A C E
C major - C E G
D minor - D F# A
etc
Only chord you are missing is the 7th - f#m7b5 also seen as f#Ø, known as the half-diminished.
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Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
That is the answer to my question and the solution to the great mystery of why some chords work and others don't. Thanks guys.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Major Minor Minor Major Major Minor Diminished
Then you know what chord types follow the Tone Tone Semi-Tone Tone Tone Tone Semi-Tone order.
E.g
C D E F G A B is the C major scale using the T-T-ST-T-T-T-ST formula.
So in chords its:
Cmajor Dminor Eminor Fmajor Gmajor Aminor Bdiminished.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
MAJ min min MAJ DOMINANT7 min half-diminished
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Didn't do 4 years at ACM for nothing lol.
well, start with the "simplest" scale C major CDEFGABC R1234567R. Please don't ask WHY the simplest scale (ie no sharps or flats) starts on C and not A, it just does. All adjacent natural note names are 2 frets (a whole tone) apart except for the pairs BC and EF which are a semitone apart. So the spacing between adjacent notes is not equal. Things that arise from this include the different triad (and 7th and extended) chord types that you can build on each degree of the scale, and the different modes you get when you build a new scale starting on each note of the original scale.
Take the modes of C. The Ionian is the same as the major scale. The Dorian is a minor mode starting on D. And so on until you get to the Locrian starting on B. Analyse each mode in terns of the intervals from the root, eg Dorian is R2b3456b7. Notice that two of those modes have only one note that makes it different from a major scale. One of them is the 4th mode (in this example starting on F, it has a #4) and the other is the 5th mode (starting on G, it has a b7).
So what tweaks would turn those two modes back into a major scale? In the case of the 4th mode you flatten it's 4th degree (to give in this example a Bb resulting in an F major scale) and in the case of the 5th mode you sharpen its 7th degree (to give in this example an F# resulting in a G major scale).
Repeat for the F & G scales, following the flattening the 4th degree of the 4th mode of F (gets you Bb maj) and the 7th degree of the 5th mode of G (gets you D maj) - keep any sharps or flats previously collected. Go round again taking modes of your new major scales.
Hey presto! The cycles of 4ths and 5ths. Most music books just give you them but don't tell you why they are that way and you won't understand that until you suss how to derive them from first principles (sketched above).
Music reading hint: Key signatures are always written with the flats or sharps written in the same order as you collect them in the cycles of 4ths and 5ths. So in a flat key the last flat in the key sig is always the 4th degree of whatever major scale the key sig is for (so in 3 flats the last one is Ab, count down the scale Ab=4, G=3, F=2, Eb=1). And the last sharp in a sharp key sig is always the 7th degree of whatever major scale the key sig is for (so in 4 sharps the last one is D#, thats the leading note of the Emaj scale)
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
However, Stickyfiddle noted D F# A as Dminor ?
D major - D F# A
not:
D minor - D F A.
Hence sm55onl's correction.
Edit - sorry, already answered above!
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Note: your initial question stated a major scale; thus with
T-T-ST-T-T-T-ST construction.
So, in the key of G Major:
G (1st, or root note)
A (2nd note)
B (3rd note)
C (4th note)
D (5th note)
E (6th note)
F# (7th note)
we, basically, stack two sets of third intervals...thus achieving chords using the R-3-5 notes of the scale that we are interested in (G Major here).
[refer to 1st web-link]
However, one can go on to stack a further third interval [2nd web-link] - in actual fact the 7th note of the scale - and use chords consisting of R-3-5-7 notes.
Loads of other variations thereafter are possible.
http://musictheorysite.com/major-diatonic-chords/
http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/jazz-guitar-chord-theory/
Why is it TTSTTTS and not some other combination?
Why is C Major the 'easiest' key?
How does music break these rules and sound good?
What is Diatonic?
What is Chromatic?
How are Major and Minor related?
Where do Modes fit in?
I think if you fully understand the answers to the above questions, you could consider yourself fairly knowledgeable in the world of theory and you'll definitely have enough context to tackle some really advanced concepts and not think 'huh?'