Chord Basics

Two notes played simultaneously are referred to as intervals. Three or more notes played simultaneously
are referred to as chords.
Chords consisting of three notes are known as triads. Chords consisting of four or more are known
as extended chords (more on this a bit later.) Regardless of the amount of notes, they all share one thing in
common. They are built from their associated major scales and stacked in thirds, which is the same thing
as every other note in the scale. If you are new to all of this then that might sound complicated so let's
break it down.
In the previous lesson we looked at how scale notes are numbered from one to seven. If we want to go
further than just one octave then we can carry on with the numbering system by starting over again past the
seven, as shown in the example below. The C major scale is used here for reference but it doesn't matter
what scale you use, the same principle still applies..

This method of counting only up to seven is the one that makes the most sense in most cases, however
when it comes to understanding the way we create chord names, it's best to temporarily ignore it and just
use a numbering system that carries on through the octave, like this...

Hint: You've heard of chords like D9, C11, F13 etc.. right? Ever wondered where the numbers come from?
This numbering system should start making sense very soon!
Okay let's move on. Earlier I mentioned that chords are built from the major scale by stacking notes in
thirds. This isn't the same thing as third intervals, (that's for another lesson) for now let's just be clear that
when we say chords are built in thirds from the major scale, what we really mean is every third note in the
scale starting from, and including, the root note. You could also just think of it in terms of every alternate
note. A picture says a thousand words so take a look at the example below.

C Major guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C major chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.

Triads

When you play something like a common C chord or G chord on your guitar you are actually playing a
major chord or major triad. They are just different names used to describe the same thing. A triad is a chord
consisting of three notes. The previous page showed us how chords are built from the major scale by
stacking the notes in thirds. A triad is created by taking the first three of these notes. Therefore a major
triad consists of the first, third and fifth of the major scale.
The example below shows how this applies to the C major scale to create a C major triad
Earlier I mentioned that chords are built on their associated scales, so an A major scale would then create
an A major chord, E major scale gives us the E chord etc...

As you can see, chords are built around the major scales. The scale notes are referenced often when
talking about chords. We use the scale degrees to let us know what notes belong to a chord.
The major chord is quite simply built from the first, third and fifth degrees of the major scale.
Triads don't have to be major, they can be minor or diminished among others. We will get to that in a bit.

Extended Chords

So far we have established that chords are built from notes of the major scale by stacking them in third
scale degrees. On the previous page we looked at triads which are formed from the first three of these
stacked notes. If we carry on past three notes we create extended chords such
as seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords.
Major triads consist of the 1st, 3rd and 5th scale degrees. If we add the next note in the stacked series we
end up with the major seventh chord. If we now add the next one to that we get the major ninth chord and
so on. As usual, the diagrams below show you these examples in the key of C major.

Thinking about chords in terms of major scale note degrees is very important. It's surprisingly easy to
remember the formulas for each chord type and once mastered, enables you to understand and figure out
what notes belong to any chord. Once you know your scales and have a good working knowledge of the
notes on the fretboard, you can begin to work out any type of guitar chords whenever you need them,
without having to resort to looking it up in a chord book or chart.
Major chord formulas

• Major (Triad): 1 - 3 - 5
• Major Seventh: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7
 • Major Ninth: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9
• Major Eleventh: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 11
• Major Thirteenth: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 11 - 13

From now on it's all about these formulas so start memorising them.

C major chord attributes:

Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G
• Various names: C - C Major - Cmaj

C Major 6 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C major 6 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C major 6 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Interval positions with 1 - 3 - 5 - 6

• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - A
• Various names: C6 - CM6 - Cmaj6

Note: Major six chords share the same notes as their relative minor seven counterpart. I.e.. The relative
minor of C is A so CM6 shares the same notes as Amin7.

C Major 7 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C major 7 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C major seventh chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - B
• Various names: CM7 - Cmaj7 - C Major 7

C Major 9 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C major 9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C major ninth chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - B - D
• Various names: CM9 - Cmaj9 - C Major 9

Minor Chords

So far we have only been looking at how major chords are built from notes of the major scale. Even
though minor chords can be built the same way by stacking thirds from the minor scale, it's not the
preferred method. We still use the major scale as the foundation for all chord types whether they be minor,
seventh or any other chord type.
You could indeed say that a minor triad is built on the first, third and fifth notes of the natural minor
scale but then we need to think multidimensional. It makes more sense to think all chord type's relative to
the major scale.
The only difference between a major triad and a minor triad is the third scale degree, which is flattened in
the minor chord. Whenever we use the terms "flat" or "flattened" we simply mean to lower a note by one
semitone (half step). Likewise, when we use the terms "sharp" or "sharpen" we simply mean to raise the
note by one semitone. By thinking of scale degrees in this way it makes it easy memorise some
straightforward scale formulas that allow us to think of all chord types relative to the major scale.
Minor chords can be triads or extended. The formulas are easy to remember, the third is flattened in the
triad, and in the extended minor chords the third and seventh are flattened. All other notes are the same as
you would find in the major chords. For example, Cmin13 and Cmaj13 differ only by the third and seventh
scale degrees, which are both flattened. Here are the scale formulas for minor chords.

• Triad: 1 - b3 - 5
• Minor Seventh: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7
• Minor Ninth: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 - 9
• Minor Eleventh: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 - 9 - 11
• Minor Thirteenth: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 - 9 - 11 - 13

For the sake of clarity, the following shows how the major triads and major seventh's compare to their minor
counterparts in the key of C.

• C Maj: 1 - 3 - 5
• C min: 1 - b3 - 5
• Cmaj7: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7
• Cmin7: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7

C Minor guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C minor chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C minor chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - b3 - 5
• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - G
• Various names: Cm - C Minor – Cmin

C Minor 7 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C minor 7 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C minor seventh chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7
• Notes in the chord: C - D# - G - A#
• Various names: Cm7 - Cmin7 - C minor 7

C Minor 9 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C minor 9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C minor ninth chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 - 9
• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - G - Bb - D
• Various names: Cm9 - Cmin9 - C Minor 9

Dominant Chords

The basics of chord construction has pretty much been covered in the previous pages. All other chord
types use the same idea, the only differences lie in what notes need to be altered.
Dominant chords contain the same notes as major chords with the exception of a flat seventh. The term
"dominant" or "Dom" is rarely used in the chord name itself, so when you see chords
named C7, E7, F#7 etc, these are all dominant chords and shouldn"t be confused with major or minor. In
other words, C7, Cmaj7, Cmin7 are all different chords. C7, C9, C11 and C13 are all dominant chords.
Scale formulas:

• Seventh: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7
• Ninth: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - 9
• Eleventh: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - 9 - 11
• Thirteenth: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - 9 - 11 - 13

Examples in C

• C7 consists of the notes C E G Bb

• C9 consists of the notes C E G Bb D
• C11 consists of the notes C E G Bb D F
• C13 consists of the notes C E G Bb D F A

C Dominant 7 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C7 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C Dominant seventh chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - Bb
• Various names: C7 - Cdom7 - C Dominant Seventh

C Dominant 9 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C Dominant Ninth chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:
 • Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 -9
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - Bb - D
• Various names: C9 - Cdom9 - C Dominant Ninth

C Dominant 11 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C11 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C Dominant Eleven chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - 9 - 11
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - Bb - D - F
• Various names: C11 - Cdom11 - C Dominant Eleventh

C Dominant 13 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C13 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C Dominant Thirteen chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - 9 - 11 - 13
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - Bb - D - F - A
• Various names: C13 - Cdom13 - C Dominant Thirteenth

C Diminished guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C Diminished chord in various positions on the fretboard
with suggested finger positions.
C Diminished chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - b3 - b5
• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - Gb
• Various names: Cdim - C diminished

C Diminished 7 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C Diminished 7 chord in various positions on the fretboard
with suggested finger positions.
C Diminished Seventh chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - b3 - b5 - bb7

• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - Gb - A
• Various names: Cdim7 - C Diminished 7

Note about fret numbers: The notes in diminished 7th chords are evenly spaced. This means that the
chord patterns can be moved along every three frets to create an inversion of the same chord. The
numbers in the boxes to the left of each diagram indicate some of the different frets where the chord can be
played.

Diminished Chords Explained

Diminished chords generally come in three types but are often surrounded by a lot of confusion.
Diminished = Major triad with the third and fifth flattened i.e. 1 b3 b5
Diminished 7 = Same a s the minor seventh chord with the fifth and seventh flatted. This results in the 7th
scale degree having a double flat (which is effectively the same as a sixth but should not be viewed as the
sixth) i.e. 1 b3 b5 bb7
Half Diminished = This is also known as the minor 7 flat five (m7b5) and as the name says it's the same
as a minor seven chord but with a flat fifth. i.e. 1 b3 b5 b7
When you are unsure what ones to use, the diminished 7 is usually a safe bet as the plain diminished isn't
as common and will often work well in place of the diminished traid. The half diminished is much more
common to be written as min7b5

C Half Diminished guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C Half Diminished chord in various positions on the
fretboard with suggested finger positions.
C Half Diminished chord attributes:
Also known as: Minor 7 flat 5 (m7b5)
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - b3 - b5 - b7
• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - Gb - Bb
• Various names: Cmin7b5 - C Half Diminished

C Major (Add 9) Guitar Chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C add 9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C add 9 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals / Chord Formula: 1 - 3 - 5 - 9

• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - D
• Various names: C add9 - C major add 9 - C/9

C Minor (Add 9) Guitar Chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the Cm add 9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
Cm add 9 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:
 • Scale intervals / Chord Formula: 1 - b3 - 5 - 9
• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - G - D
• Various names: Cm add9 - C minor add 9 - Cm/9

C6/9 Guitar Chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C6/9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C6/9 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals / Chord Formula: 1 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 9

• Notes in the chord: C - E - G - A - D
• Various names: C6 add9 - C major 6 (add 9) - C6/9

Cm6 add9 Guitar Chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the Cm6/9 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
Cm6/9 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals / Chord Formula: 1 - b3 - 5 - 6 - 9

• Notes in the chord: C - Eb - G - A - D
• Various names: Cm6 add9 - C minor 6 (add 9) - Cm6/9

Augmented Chords

Technically speaking, an augmented chord is a major chord with a raised (sharpened) fifth. So for an
augmented triad we would have the scale formula 1- 3 - #5. This equates to the notes C, E, G# for the C
augmented chord.
Augmented chords are most often labelled as "aug" or "+" I.e. C aug or C+.
Problems can arise with this chord because there is sometimes a lack of consistency in the way people
name them. The term "augmented", when applied to musical intervals, means to raise by one semitone.
This means that the terms augmented fourth, augmented fifth, augmented eleventh etc.. they all make
sense, they simply mean #4, #5, #11.
So why can this be confusing? Because the term "aug" or "+" when used in conjunction with a triad is taken
for granted that it is referring to the fifth. For extended chords, this isn't always the case. Take the
augmented seventh chord for example. Is this a dominant seventh chord with a raised fifth or a dominant
seventh chord with a raised seventh? The name Caug7 can be rather ambiguous as it suggests neither in
any certain terms. If you've been revising your chord theory so far then you have probably already realised
that a dominant chord with an augmented seventh would actually be a major seventh chord so this one is
rarely open to confusion, even though, you will often find this chord written as C7+5 which takes away any
confusion, it is a C7 chord with an augmented fifth.
Another example would be the augmented ninth. Most of the time this chord name will be referring to a
seventh chord with an added raised ninth. Even though you will sometimes see it written as Caug9 or
similar, the better way to name it is C7+9.
The augmented triad contains notes of an equal distance apart just like the diminished seventh does, but
with the intervals a major third apart (four semitones). Each of them can be considered the root, so like the
diminished seventh, it's context dictates the key.

C Augmented guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C Augmented chord in various positions on the fretboard
with suggested finger positions.
C Augmented chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 3 - #5
• Notes in the chord: C - E - G#
• Various names: C aug - C Augmented

Note about fret numbers: The notes in augmented triads are evenly spaced. This means that the chord
patterns can be moved along every four frets to create an inversion of the same chord. The numbers in the
boxes to the left of each diagram indicate some of the different frets where the chord can be played.

Suspended Chords

The suspended chord is another one of those chord types that attracts some confusion. In traditional
theory, suspension is a term used when a chord tone is held over from a previously played chord and then
resolved to the third of the new chord. That's the quick explanation, and one that we aren't going to go into
detail because in modern music the suspended chord is considered a chord in it's own right.
The Sus 2 and the Sus 4 are the two most commonly used and they are both derived from the major triad
by replacing the third scale degree with the second (Sus 2) or the fourth (Sus 4).
For example, the C major triad consists of the notes C E and G which are the first, third and fifth scale
degrees of the C major scale. The second scale degree is D and the fourth is F so if we replace the E with
D we end up with a Csus2 and by replacing the E with F we get a Csus4 chord.
Suspended Chord formulas

• Csus2 = 1 - 2 - 5 = C - D - G.
• Csus4 = 1 - 4 - 5 = C - F - G

There is some controversy surrounding the use of Sus2. This chord has evolved quite recently compared to
the suspended fourth and while the theory behind it makes sense, there are some that argue it's usage
because it's simply an inversion of a Sus4 chord. For an example, if you look at the notes in
an Fsus2 chord you'll see that it's actually an inversion of a Csus4.

• Csus4: C F G
• Fsus2: F G C

Whatever side of the fence you are on, you may as well get used to suspended seconds because it's very
likely they're here to stay, even if they are a sus 4!

C Sus 2 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C Sus2 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C Sus 2 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 2 - 5
• Notes in the chord: C - D - G
• Various names: C sus 2 - C Suspended 2nd

C Sus 4 guitar chords

The below diagrams show you how to play the C sus4 chord in various positions on the fretboard with
suggested finger positions.
C Sus 4 chord attributes:
Interval positions with respect to the C major scale, notes in the chord and name variations:

• Scale intervals: 1 - 4 - 5
• Notes in the chord: C - F - G
• Various names: C Sus 4 - C Suspended Fourth

Guitar Scales

Use the navigation menu on the left (or top menu) to find scale notes and neck diagrams for various scale
types in all keys.
Reading the scale diagrams

• The black notes on all diagrams indicate the root note

• The number underneath each diagram indicates which fret the root note is on

Example shows the A major scale at the fifth fret

C Major Scale

• C Major Scale Notes: C D E F G A B

• Key Signature: No Sharps or Flats
• Scale Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• Scale Intervals: W W H W W W H

C Natural Minor Scale

• C Natural Minor Scale Notes: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb

• Scale Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
• Scale Intervals: W H W W H W W

C Melodic Minor Scale

• C Melodic Minor Scale Notes: C D Eb F G A B

• Scale Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
• Scale Intervals: W H W W W W H

C Harmonic Minor Scale

• C Harmonic Minor Scale Notes: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B

• Scale Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
• Scale Intervals: W H W W H W+H H

Minor Pentatonic Scales

The minor pentatonic scale is a five note scale based on the natural minor but without the 2nd and and
sixth scale degrees. The minor pentatonic scale formula is 1, b3, 4, 5, b7. This scale is most commonly
broken up into what's known as the five pentatonic positions as shown in the diagrams below.
Click on the required key for scale notes and fret position diagrams in each key

Major Pentatonic Scales

The major pentatonic scale is a five note scale similar to the major scale but without the fourth and seventh
scale degrees. The major pentatonic scale formula is 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. This scale is most commonly broken up
into five major pentatonic positions as shown in the diagrams below. The major pentatonic scale shares the
same notes as it's relative minor counterpart so although the diagrams might seem familiar it's important to
take note of where the root notes differ for the major pentatonic positions as opposed to minor pentatonic

Blues Scale

The blues scale is esentially a minor pentatonic scale with an added flat fifth. The blues scale formula is 1,
b3, 4, b5, 5, b7. The easiest way to remember this scale is to think of it as the minor pentatonic and simply
learn where the added notes are within the normal five minor pentatonic positions. The diagrams show the
flat fifth note in blue to make it easy to compare.

Modes Explained: Part 1

Why are modes so complicated - What's the point of them?

Modes are one of those topics surrounded by confusion. Even some advanced guitarists struggle to grasp
them. The main reason for this is quite simple, most tutorials on the subject only tell you how to play them
as scale patterns but give no further explanation of their use. Time to unravel the mystery!
Okay, let's quickly skim over the usual stuff first, then we'll get into the nitty gritty. If we take any major scale
and use each note as a new starting point then we can create seven different modes of that scale. The
order of the modes are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.
Using the C major scale for example, we can create seven modes of that scale by starting and ending the
mode on each note in turn. The notes in the C major scale are C D E F G A B C. Here are the modes that
correspond to the C major scale. Note, the first one, Ionian, can be viewed as just another name for the
major scale.

• C Ionian: C D E F G A B C - W W H W W W H
• D Dorian: D E F G A B C D - W H W W W H W
• E Phrygian: E F G A B C D E - H W W W H W W
• F Lydian: F G A B C D E F - W W W H W W H
• G Mixolydian: G A B C D E F G - W W H W W H W
• A Aeolian: A B C D E F G A - W H W W H W W
• B Locrian: B C D E F G A B - H W W H W W W

Unfortunately that's pretty much where many tutorials stop with modes so it's no surprise that the subject
ends up so confusing and begging the question ... "What's the point of modes?".
The key to understanding modes lies in the understanding of "tonal centre." If you don't understand what
this is then you won't understand modes. Let's see if we can shed some light on this without getting too
bogged down with music theory. Don't skip ahead here, the following is all relevant.
Tonal centre (or key centre) is pretty much what it says. Think about it as the centre of tonality in a piece of
music, the main musical note that feels like the common tone that's holding everything together. Imagine a
simple twelve bar major blues in the key of C. You wouldn't argue that it's in any other key. C is definitely
the home key, your ears are very used to hearing it and you naturally expect to hear some form of C scale
used for a guitar solo, riff or melody to play over the top of it. If you played a B major scale over it, you
would know it's wrong.
Now, there are a few things that create this tonal centre, one of them is purely expectation! You are so
used to hearing things played in a certain way that anything else just sounds wrong. This is an important
thing to grasp even though it sounds obvious. What's not so obvious is why, and this is important ... our
ears have a kind of short term memory when we listen to a piece of music. This, combined with the fact that
we have heard songs based on common chord progressions probably thousands of times, ultimately leads
to expectation. Once we expect to hear something, it becomes the only thing that sounds right. In other
words, if we want to hear "C" as the tonal centre then it makes it very difficult to make anything else sound
right.
What has short term memory got to do with it? Well, think about the common twelve bar I-IV-V chord
progression. In the key of C the chords would be C, F and G. What makes C the home key?. Why not F or
G? Well, there are a few things at play here. For a start, all three chords belong to the key of C major so
that gives them a common tie, there is no other key that they all belong to together (apart from relative
minor key but that's not important here). The main thing that really brings the key home is the V-I cadence.
The "five" chord (G in this case) has a strong tendency to want to resolve up to the "one" chord. It is
however our short term ear memory that makes this resolution expected. If you just played the G chord on
it's own for the entire length of a song, then G would obviously sound like home. We would be in the key of
G. Likewise if we played just the F chord throughout the entire length of a piece of music then F would be
the home key. Same goes if we just played the C chord alone, we'd be in the key of C. At this point you
might be wondering, if that's the case then why is the C F G chord progression all in the key of C and not
changing key with each chord?
At what point do these three chords become just the key of C? This can depend on what else is going on in
the music. Other instruments and the melody can affect the tonal centre, but short term ear memory and
expectation plays a very important part. As the duration of each chord gets shorter, their common ties
becomes stronger. If we only changed chord once every two minutes then it would be extremely easy to
change key with each chord change. If we change chords every few bars then they start to sound like a
"collective" and this influences how our ears interpret it.
In the case of something like a twelve bar blues which we've all heard countless times in one form or
another, the expectations become so strong that it's almost impossible to veer away from anything other
than what the ear is expecting next, in both chord duration as well as tone.
So how does this help anyone understand modes? The reason is quite simple. Traditional and common
explanations of modes only make sense when the scale is played on a single instrument alone, with no
accompaniment and starting and finishing on the root notes. In the real world of playing music, it becomes
irrelevant because this is not how we play music and it's not how we play with scales on most modern
music

Modes Explained: Part 2

We are generally taught to practice scales starting and ending on the root note. This gives us a sense of
the tonal centre and gets us used to playing with the scale. When we use a scale in a piece of music to
create a solo or melody, things are different, we don't often play each note sequentially. Likewise we don't
start and end every phrase on the root note. Sometimes we even play phrases that don't include the root
note. The result is something that, on the surface, appears to be a random selection and order of notes
taken from the scale, with musical phrases that don't need to contain all seven notes from the scale within
each phrase.
If this is the case then how can a D Dorian be anything different from a C Ionian, F Lydian or any other
mode belonging to the same major scale? This is where confusion rears it's ugly head and the short answer
is ... it depends on what's dominating the tonal centre. In most cases this will be the underlying chord
progression, the lead melody or both.
Something that needs to be understood is if the underlying chord progression is pulling our ears towards a
common major key then this is very likely going to dominate the melody whether we like it or not. In other
words, a typical I-IV-V chord progression in the key of C major is hard to interpret as anything else whether
we like it or not, it just sounds like C major and that's that. It's how our ears perceive it. If we play any of the
C major modes over the top, it's still going to sound like C major because our ears will pull us towards
making note choices that relate to the feel of the music. If we structure our melody or lead solo to "battle"
against it then it will either sound wrong or simply make little impact. The chord progression will still be
likely to dominate what we want (or expect) to hear in most cases.
This subject could get endlessly bogged down with theory trying to explain the multitude of things that affect
the tonal centre or key of a piece of music. The bottom line is if the chord progression supports the mode
then our ears will generally do the rest just by playing around with the scale, you'll find yourself naturally
placing the emphasis on the notes that matter most. So for instance, if you are playing a D Dorian scale
pattern and the underlying chord progression has a D Dorian or D minor flavour, then it should naturally
sound like D Dorian. If you try to play the D Dorian scale over a chord progression that's dominated by C
major then it will just sound like C major.
There are various ways to create chord progressions that support the mode. One common method is to
create a two chord vamp using the four and five chords of the relative major (Ionian) key over the root of
the mode. So for example, to create a D Dorian chord progression, first we look at it's relative major scale
(C major) and take the IV and V chords from that. In this case it will be F and G major. We can now play
those two chords over a D root which equates to F/D and G/D. Note that an F major chord with a D bass
shares the same notes as a Dmin7 chord and the G major chord already has the D note so this could also
be viewed as Dm7 - G.
We can use the same idea for all the modes. To create an E phrygian progression we do the same thing. C
major is the relative major of E phrygian so we take the same IV and V chords but play them over an E
bass. This gives us F/E and G/E ... Note, G major over an E bass shares the same notes as an Emin7 so it
would make sense to use this as the first chord in the sequence, I.e. Emin7 - F/E or Emin7 - Fmaj7
If we wanted E Dorian, we find it's relative major which is D major. The IV and V chords of D major are G
and A so we would use G/E and A/E or Emin7 - A/E.
There are many ways to create various chord progressions for the modes, the above examples are enough
to get you going and get to grips with the most important concept of them, modes are not just about the
scale unless the scale itself is played in isolation with no backing. The rest of the music also needs to
support the characteristics of the mode otherwise the most dominating part of the music will simply
dominate the mood. I'll reiterate once more as this is such a confusing topic.
Take a look at the chords in the key of C major relative to the modal positions.

• I - C major -- Ionian
• Ii - D minor -- Dorian
• Iii - E minor -- Phrygian
• IV - F major -- Lydian
• V - G major -- Mixolydian
• Vi - A minor -- Aeolian
• Vii - B dim -- Locrian

Each of those chords should match the basic characteristics of the modes. In other words, Ionian, Lydian
and Mixolydian all have a major flavour. Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian all have a minor flavour. Locrian has
a diminished flavour and this makes it a bit unstable sounding which is why it isn't used as often.
Using that as a basic guide you should realise that if you want to use an E Phrygian scale then the
underlying music should have an E minor feel to it. All of the chords belonging to C major also belong to all
of the C major modes. This is why chord choice is important. The chord progression C, F and G create a
strong sense of C major tonality so it's only going to work well with the C Ionian mode. Even though those
same chords also belong to E Phrygian, there is nothing about it that sounds like E minor.
I'm starting to sound like a broken record now so I'll leave it there. Hopefully this has shed some light on the
topic. There's nothing like experience to get to grips with everything so get practicing!.

Chords and Key Explained

Chords in the key

When we say a song or piece of music is in a particular key, it usually means that all the chords are derived
from one scale type. For the moment it's best to take that as a loose description because there are a few
things to think about here. The chords alone won't always tell the full story, for instance, a chord
progression containing only the chords F, C and Dmin could belong to the key of F major or C major.
Let's begin by understanding how a bunch of different chords can all belong to one scale.
So far we have learnt that chords are built by stacking scale intervals in thirds from the root note. We can
however treat each note in turn as the root note to find all the different chords that can be derived from the
notes of one scale. In the key of C major for instance, up until now, we have only been concerned with all C
chord variations.
We can easily find all the triads that belong to the key of C major by stacking third scale intervals, starting
each note in turn from the C major scale. The diagram below shows us how.

This gives us seven triads that all belong to the key of C major. We can figure out what chord each one is
by associating each root with it's relative scale. For example, the second chord in the sequence starts with
a D so we can use the D major scale to find out what kind of chord it is, using the formulas we have
discussed so far. For this then, we will need to know how the notes D, F and A relate to the D major scale.
The notes in the D major scale are D E F# G A B C#. We know already that the formula for the major triad
is 1-3-5, which in D major would give us the notes D F# A. Therefore D, F A with respect to the D major
scale must be 1-b3-5. By now you should recognise that as a minor triad. So the second chord in the key of
C major is D minor.
The third chord has the notes E, G and B, likewise we will use the E major scale to figure out what kind of
"E" chord it is. The notes belonging to E major are: E F# G# A B C# D#. So the notes E, G, B would come
from the chord formula 1-b3-5 which is also a minor triad. The chord therefore is E minor.
If we carry on using this idea we will end up with the following chords that share notes belonging to C
major.

• C Major
• D Minor
• E Minor
• F Major
• G Major
• A Minor
• B Diminished

The same idea applies to extended chords as you can see in the diagram below.
The resulting chords would be:

• C Major 7
• D Minor 7
• E Minor 7
• F Major 7
• G Dominant 7
• A Minor 7
• B Half Diminished (Bmin7b5)

I won't carry on with lengthy details, the above gives you the idea of how the chords are figured out but the
good news is we don't need to do this kind of mathematics every time we want to know what chords belong
to what key. As long as we know the scale notes then we can use a simple formula to find the chords in any
major key. For this we use the chord numbering system.

The Chord Numbering System

Chord Numbers
Just like diatonic scale notes are numbered from one to seven, we also use numbers to denote the position
of a chord relative to it's key (scale). Roman numerals are used to label chord positions. Using the previous
example, the chords belonging to C major would be labelled from one to seven like this:

• I - C Major
• ii - D Minor
• iii - E Minor
• IV - F Major
• V - G Major
• vi - A Minor
• vii - B Dim

Note the use of lower case characters used for minor chords and upper case for major. This is common
practice to write them this way.
By thinking about chords in terms of scale note positions, it becomes a much easier job to remember, or
quickly figure out what chords belong to what key. All we need to know is the scale notes and a simple
chord order. For instance, we have used C major for our example but it doesn't really matter what scale is
used, the order of chords remains the same. We can use this to create a simple formula for any major key.
So from one to seven, the chord types are ...

I ii iii IV V vi vii
 Maj Min Min Maj Maj Min Dim

Using this idea it becomes a simple task to find the chords in any major key. Let's say we want to know
what chords belong to the key of A major. All we need to know are the notes in the A major scale, then we
find the chords like so ...
A major scale notes are A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G#

A B C# D E F# G#

I ii iii IV V vi vii

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

Extended chords In Key

The same idea is applied to extended chords. The chart below shows how.

I ii iii IV V vi vii

Maj Min Min Maj Maj Min Dim

Maj 7 Min 7 Min 7 Maj 7 Dom 7 Min 7 min7b5

Maj 9 Min 9 Min7 b9 Maj 9 Dom 9 Min 9 *

Maj 11 Min 11 **** **** Dom 11 Min 11 **

Maj 13 Min 13 1**** **** Dom 13 **** ***

Notes
**** Sometimes chords can become very complicated, sound horrible and are hard to name accurately. It
can also cause some controversy between musicians. For instance, the 5th chord in the sequence for E
(1****) could be named Emin11b9b13. You could probably also name it something else but it all becomes
very complicated and hard to define, it can also change with context.
The vii chords are not very common in their extended forms. These will be mostly used in jazz and will
often use any form of diminished. Technically speaking the order of these chords after the min7b5 will be ...

• * half diminished ninth

• ** half diminished eleventh
• *** half diminished thirteenth

Chord Progressions
Chord numbering is a very effective way to communicate common chord progressions. When you hear
terms like "one four five in G" or "two five one in B flat" these phrases are simply referring to the chords
used relative to the scale position. For instance, as you can see from the diagrams below, a one four five in
G would mean the chords G, C and D and a two five one in B flat would be Cm, F, Bb.

G A B C D E F#

I ii iii IV V vi vii

maj min min maj maj min dim

Bb C D Eb F G A

I ii iii IV V vi vii

maj min min maj maj min dim

You can of course use the extended chord versions so in Bb for example it would probably be more
common to use the chords Cmin7, F7, Bbmaj7

Chords in the key of C major

The chord chart below lists all the common triads and four note extended chords belonging to the key of C
major. Roman numerals indicate each chord's position relative to the scale.

• C major scale notes: C D E F G A B C

• Major key chord sequence: Maj min min Maj Maj min dim

I ii iii IV V vi vii

Cmaj Dmin Emin Fmaj Gmaj Amin Bdim

Cmaj7 Dmin7 Emin7 Fmaj7 G7 Amin7 Bm7b5

Common chord progressions in C major

I - IV - V C-F-G

I - vi - IV - V C - Am - F - G

ii - V - I Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7
Chords in the key of C minor natural

The chord chart below lists the common triad and four note extended chords belonging to the key of C
natural minor. Roman numerals indicate each chord's position relative to the scale.

• C natural minor scale notes: C D Eb F G Ab Bb

• Natural minor key chord sequence: min dim maj min min maj maj

i iidim III iv v VI VII

Cmin Ddim Ebmaj Fmin Gmin Abmaj Bbmaj

Cmin7 Dm7b5 Ebmaj7 Fmin7 Gmin7 Abmaj7 Bb7

Common chord progressions in C natural minor

i - VI - VII Cm - Ab - Bb

i - iv - VII Cm - Fm - Bb

i - iv - v Cm - Fm - Gm

i - VI - III - VII Cm - Ab - Eb - Bb

ii - v - i Dm7b5 - Gm - Cm

Chords in the key of C harmonic minor

The chord chart below lists the common traid and four note extended chords belonging to the key of C
harmonic minor. Roman numerals indicate each chords position relative to the scale.

• C harmonic minor scale notes: C D Eb F G Ab B

The triad and extended (four voice) chord sequence derived from the harmonic minor scale are as follows
Chord progressions using the harmonic minor scale will often be mixed with chords taken from the other
minor scales. It's common therefore to see something like i - iv - V7 progressions where the V7 is taken
from the harmonic minor while the rest of the chords are taken from the natural minor.
This is explained in more detail in the chord theory pages

Triads: min dim aug min maj maj dim

Extended: min/maj7 m7b5 maj7#5 min7 dom7 maj7 dim7

 i iidim III iv V VI VII

Cmin Ddim Ebaug Fmin Gmaj Abmaj Bdim

Cminmaj7 Dm7b5 Ebmaj7#5 Fmin7 G7 Abmaj7 Bdim7

Typical chord progressions in C harmonic minor

i - iv - V7 Cm - Fm - G7

ii - V7 - i Dm7b5 - G7 - Cm

Chords in the key of C Melodic Minor

Chord progressions built on the notes of the melodic minor scale aren't as common as progressions based
on other scales. The reason is that chords built on melodic minor scale notes don't tend to work so well
together. This doesn't necessarily mean they're unusable and it's worth noting the chord differences
between the minor scales because minor keys are often made from a combination of the minor scale
variations.
The chord chart shows the traid and 4 note extended chords belonging to the key of C Melodic Minor.

• C Melodic Minor scale notes: C D Eb F G A B

Triads: min min aug maj maj dim dim

Extended: min/maj7 min7 maj7#5 dom7 dom7 m7b5 m7b5

i ii III IV V vi vii

Cmin Dmin Ebaug Fmaj Gmaj Adim Bdim

Cminmaj7 Dm7 Ebmaj7#5 F7 G7 Am7b5 Bm7b5

Minor Keys

Minor keys aren't quite so straightforward as major keys. Two reasons for this, firstly, there are three minor
scale types, natural minor, melodic minor and harmonic minor. Secondly, in modern music they are often
mixed together. Because of this, minor keys can be ambiguous in terms of strict theory. To get our head
around all of this we need to first understand the natural minor.
Natural minor
The scale formula for the natural minor scale is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
The natural minor scale just so happens to share the same notes as the major scale three semitones (half
steps) above. We call this the relative major, or from the major scale's perspective, the relative minor. Let's
take a look at the scale notes to get a clearer picture.
A major scale: A B C# D E F# G#
To make this a natural minor we need to flatten the third, sixth and seventh scale degree which gives us the
following.
A natural minor scale. A B C D E F G
You can see that these are the same notes as we find in C major (C D E F G A B), the only difference is the
starting note. From this it's easy to see why they relate to each other. The relative minor of C major is A and
the relative major of A minor is therefore C.
This similarity between the relative scales also means they happen to share the same chords. Chords
belonging to the key of C major will be the same set of chords that belong to the key of A minor. The only
difference is the order they are presented. As we've discussed already, In major keys the chord order is maj
min min maj maj min dim. In the minor key the order becomes min dim maj min min maj maj. So even
though both keys share the same set of chords, the chord progressions will be different. For instance, a I IV
V progression in C major is C F G. In A minor it becomes Am Dm Em. You can see this by comparing the
charts below.

C Major

I ii iii IV V vi vii

C Maj D Min E Min F Maj G Maj A Min B Dim

A Minor

i ii III iv v VI VII

A Min B Dim C Maj D Min E Min F Maj G maj

The Cadence
We need to divert our attention a little for a moment before we can understand the why the harmonic
minor and melodic minor scales came about in the first place. I'm not going to give a detailed explanation
about cadences, we'll just brush over the main points. More information can be found at wikipedia about
the cadence.
Generally speaking, the cadence is what reinforces the home key and mostly refers to the V-I transition in a
chord progression. In the major scale, the last note is one semitone below the root and it's called the
leading tone, as the name suggests, it leads nicely into the tonic (root note). In the key of C major it is the B
note. The "five chord" in a major key contains this leading tone and has a strong pull back to the tonic. This
strengthens and highlights the key. In the key of C, the G sounds like it wants to resolve back to C. If we
make the five chord dominant (G7) then this "pull" becomes even stronger.
The leading tone in the natural minor scale however is a whole tone below the root and it doesn't have such
a strong pull. For composers this makes it a bit harder to really establish the key. The five chord in a minor
key doesn't have the same effect as it does in a major key because the leading tone is not as close to the
tonic. You can easily try this yourself. Play a i iv v progression in the key of A minor. The chords
are Amin Dmin and Emin. The five chord (Emin) sounds Ok and resolves reasonably well back to the A
minor but it's still fairly weak sounding.
Harmonic minor
The solution to improving this weaker sounding cadence in minor keys is to raise the leading tone of the
natural minor by a half step which results in a stronger pull back to the tonic. Using A natural minor as an
example, this would mean making the G become G# which in turn will make the E minor chord, or the V
chord, become E major. This raised seventh gives us a new scale formula 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 and we call it
the harmonic minor scale.
It's now that things start to get a little bit complicated. This raised seventh creates a three semitone interval
from the sixth scale degree. Although this might not be a problem in modern music, years ago it was
considered unnatural and non melodic.
Melodic minor
The answer to the above problem was to also raise the sixth scale degree to eliminate the large interval
created by raising the seventh. This led to a smoother sounding scale, making it easier to create natural
flowing melodies. The scale formula for the melodic minor is therefore 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7.
This whole idea came about so as to make the leading tone have a stronger pull back to the tonic. This
means that it's only important when the melody was ascending in pitch, when descending it doesn't have
the same effect. The end result was to use the melodic minor while ascending and then revert back to the
natural minor when descending.
Minor Keys In Modern Music
As usual things adapt over time and these days our ears are more used to hearing music in many different
flavours. Minor keys now tend to be a bit of a mix, anything goes really and all three of the minor scales can
get used in the same piece of music. The melodic minor doesn't see a lot of use in average popular music,
mostly jazz. The natural minor is still the most commonly used for minor keys and you will often hear the
harmonic minor used for the V - I cadence.
For an example, a very common minor chord progression is the i - bVII - bVI - V. In the key of A minor you
might recognise these chords used in many songs, A min, G maj, F maj, E maj. This chord progression is
all in natural minor except for the V chord (E maj) which temporarily switched to harmonic minor for the V-i
cadence. If you were to solo or create melodies for this progression then you would use the harmonic minor
scale over the E chord and natural minor for the rest.