Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
I J 9+ OMC=
Sara Simms on Jan 13, 2014 in MUSIC THEORY 0 comments
Moving on from the basic use of chord progressions, Sara Simms is here to help inspire you on ways to build
chord progressions in Pop Music.
The circle of fifths (credit: Just plain Bill via Wik ipedia.)
The Circle of Fifths is divided up into 12 sections, which each represent a different key signature. As you travel clockwise around the circle,
each key signature is the fifth pitch in the scale of the preceding section. For example, if you begin with C, the following section to the right
is G, which is the fifth note of the C scale. You can use The Circle of Fifths to determine the key signature of each key. To figure out how
many sharps are in a key, simply count clockwise from the top of the circle. For example, the C Major scale has no accidentals (flats or
sharps) The G major scale, which is one section clockwise from C, has one sharp, F#.
To calculate the number of flats in a key, you follow a similar process, except count counterclockwise. For example, the key signature of Bb
has two flats (Bb and Eb). We know this is true, because Bb is located two sections counterclockwise away from C.
The Circle of Fifths can also be used to find out what the key signatures of the minor keys are. To find a minor key signature, begin with the
key you'd like to use, and move three spaces counterclockwise. Use the key signature from the key you land on as the minor key signature.
For example, if you would like to discover what the key signature is for C Minor, begin in the C section, count three sections
counterclockwise, and you'll land on Eb, which has three flats. (Bb, Eb, and Ab) Therefore, the key of C minor uses the same key signature
as Eb Major: Bb, Eb, and Ab.
Diatonic Triads
If you're writing a song in the key of C Major, then the scale you're working with to build your chords is the 'C Major' scale. The most basic
diatonic chords are three-note chords (triads), which are composed from alternating notes from this scale.
The first, third and fifth note of the major scale form a major triad. In the key of C:
C D E F G A B C
C, E and G form a 'C Major Triad'.
C Major Triad
00:00
00:00
The next diatonic triad from the C Major Scale is formed by beginning on D:
C D E F G A B C
When played together, D, F, and A form a 'D Minor Triad'.
00:00
00:00
Roman Numerals
Roman numerals are used in music to describe how a chord relates to the key signature.
Every major key contains seven different tones; we can build a basic triad starting on each tone. This means that within any major key, there
are seven different diatonic triads.
The roman numerals used to represent these triads and the corresponding type of triads are:
I (C Major)
00:00
00:00
ii (D minor
00:00
00:00
iii (E minor)
00:00
00:00
IV (F Major)
00:00
00:00
V (G Major)
00:00
00:00
vi (A minor)
00:00
00:00
vii (B diminished)
00:00
00:00
Diminished Triads
The diminished triad is a triad consisting of a root, a minor third, and a flattened fifth. A C diminished triad (In the key of Db Major) would be:
C, Eb, and Gb.
C Diminished tirad
00:00
Seventh Chords
Using any four notes in the chain of thirds creates a '7th chord' (a triad within a seventh). A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad
plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root.
The most common type of seventh chords are the dominant seventh, the major seventh, and the minor seventh chords.
When not otherwise specified, a seventh chord usually refers to a dominant seventh chord, which is a major triad with the addition of a
minor seventh.
A dominant seventh chord is composed of the root, major third, perfect fifth and minor seventh. The dominant seventh chord is commonly
written as: '7' (eg. C7)
00:00
00:00
A major seventh is composed of the root, major third, perfect fifth and major seventh. Common symbols for the major seventh chords are:
Cmaj7, CM7, C
00:00
00:00
The minor seventh chord is composed of the root, minor third, perfect fifth and minor seventh (C, Eb, G, Bb in a C min7 chord). A few
common symbols for the minor seventh include:
Cmin7, Cm7,C-7
00:00
00:00
If you begin with a diatonic triad, and build onto this using another third on top, the next note in the chain of thirds gives each of triads a '7th'.
The I and IV chords will have major 7ths, all the others have minor 7ths.
Here is a useful list of all the 7th chords:
I (maj7)
ii (min7)
iii (min7)
IV (maj7)
V (7)
vi (min7)
vii (min7b5)
In the key of C Major, these chords would be:
C maj7 D min7 E min7 F maj7
G7 Amin7
B min7b5
You can advance your chord progressions by adding sevenths to your chords. These additional notes will help to advance your chord
structures into new musical territory. It's a good idea to practice both diatonic triads and seventh chords on a piano, as the keyboard makes
it an ideal instrument for learning theory and chords.
Sara Simms
More articles by this author
Sara Simms captivates the world as a stylish DJ, turntablist and electronic music producer. Her musical versatility allows her to blend together a wide
range of electronic genres in her sets, including electro, techno, retro, and house. She has a background as a battle DJ, and spices up her sets with
hints of turntablism. An early adap... Read M ore