A couple people have shown interest in geeking out here with some music theory talk. That’s what my degree is in so I can geek out for sure. Let’s start simple though. Here’s a basic premise to begin with that forms the foundation of everything else in music theory:
Our Western scale (a major scale) has eight notes in it. Let’s say you’re starting on the note “C,” for instance. To build a C scale you’d play these notes in order from lowest to highest: C D E F G A B C
That’s a major scale.
Now, give each note a number from one to eight:
C is 1, D is 2, E is 3, etc.
These numbers are “scale degrees.” The fourth scale degree in the C major scale is F; the seventh scale degree in a C major scale is B, etc.
Now, build a chord on any note in the C scale using other notes from the C scale. A G chord, for example starts on G and uses every other note: G B D. That’s a G major chord. It can also be called the five chord (often written as 5 or V on a chord chart). In the key of C (in the C scale) G is the fifth scale degree so it’s chord is called the five chord.
In the key of C, a D chord would be the two chord (written 2 or ii); the E chord would be the three chord (written 3 or iii).
Next time we’ll get into what makes a chord major or minor and how that changes how it’s written or notated on a chord chart.
elijah says:
This is great, Shaun. I’m learning. I love it.
This is an honest question – was I wrong to think that the D chord wasn’t in the key of C? I thought Dm was in that key.
Thanks.
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
Elijah, you are correct that a D major chord does not fit into the key of C. But notice that Shaun so far has just specified the letter name of a chord, without going into modifications like major, minor, diminished, and augmented. Although in his example he did call the D chord ii, when if he had been talking about a major chord he would have written II.
elijah says:
I had no idea. I was wondering why he wrote the G chord as “V” and the D and E chords as “ii” and “iii” respectively.
Thanks.
Shaun Groves says:
Thanks for clearing that up, Stephen.
Yea, it’s hard to teach theory – for me anyway – without taking just a little at a time. But the thing about that is that it begs questions we can’t answer just yet. We’ll get there though. I promise.
SG
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
When are you going to get to the neapolitan chord?