Quote:
Originally Posted by PrinceJ  What are the difference if it is different things
Chords, scales and appergios
and the
Ionia, 35 235 245
dorian, 578 57 457
Frygian, 7810 7910 79
Lydian, 810 7910 7910
Mexolydian, 57 457 457
Aeolian, 7910 7910 79
Locrian, 91012 91012 911 |
Those links you have been given will give you what you need. I'll address what we do with each of those things - or how to use them.
The Major Scale is the backbone of all Western music. If you understand how the Major Scale is constructed, what notes are in each scale and why, the rest will be easy. But, with out that understanding music theory will be seen through a fog. Now it is best that you understand how to construct your own major scales, however, think of the following as your Rosetta Stone ...... So here is a Major Scale chart.
Major Scale Chart
C D E F G A B...............Notice the C scale has no Sharps
G A B C D E F#.............and the G scale has one, the F#
D E F# G A B C#...........and the D scale keeps the F# and
A B C# D E F# G#.........adds the C#. Then the A scale keeps
E F# G# A B C# D#.......everything and adds the G#. See how
B C# D# E F# G# A#.....it builds on it's self.
F# G# A# B C# D# E#
C# D# E# F# G# A# B#
F G A Bb C D E.............Look what happens with the flat scales
Bb C D Eb F G A...........F has one the Bb, then the Bb scale keeps
Eb F G Ab Bb C D.........it's self and adds the the Eb. Same thing
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G.......the sharp scales did...
Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F
Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb
Memory pegs:
See God Destroy All Earth By F#irey C#haos. Order of the scales with sharps.
Fat cats go down alleys eating birds. Order of the sharps.
Farmer brown eats apple dumplings greasily cooked. Order of the scales with flats.
The key signature is showing three sharps. What scale has three sharps? C has none, G has one, D has two, A has three. Which sharps? Fat = F#, Cat = C# and Go = G# so the A major scale has three sharps, F#, C# and G#. Need to know the notes in the E major scale and you do not have your Rosetta Stone handy -- use your memory pegs or your WWHWWWH formula or what ever you find best, just be able to do it on your own fairly soon.
Natural Minor Scale Chart
A B C D E F G ................Notice how the 6th column of the
E F# G A B C D................Major scale becomes the 1st column
B C# D E F# G A..............in the minor scale and how the 7th
F# G# A B C# D E............column of the Major scale is now the
C# D# E F# G# A B..........2nd column in the minor scale. And
G# A# B C# D# E F#........yep, the 1st column in the Major scale
D# E# F# G# A# B C#......is now the 3rd column, etc. etc.
A# B# C# D# E# F# G#....Ask your self why? Hint, think relative minor.
D E F G A Bb C
G A Bb C D Eb F
C D Eb F G Ab Bb
F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab
Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db
Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb
OK Scales are used for the melody. Your melody notes will probably come from one of the above scales. There are hundreds of scales however the Major scale and the Natural minor scale account for most of what you and I will be doing.
Chords. Why do we have them and how do we use them? Chords harmonize the melody and move the song's verse (phrase, etc.) through the rest, tension, climax, resolution and return to rest every verse must take. Harmonization first -- if the chord played under the melody has some of the melody notes in it's makeup that chord will harmonize that melody segment. If that happens those two parts of the song will sound good together. It took me years to understand this. No one tells you this when you first start out and it really explains everything you need to know about how music thinks. OK that movement thing - Chords are used in a progression order within the verse. However, before getting into progressions lets see how chords are formed. One of the help sites I list at the bottom of this epistle will go into detail on the journey (movement) chords take in a song.
To form a chord you start with a scale. Lets use the C major scale and form the chords for that scale.
C Major Scale = C, D, E, F, G, A, B to form the chords we stack 3rds. We use every other note in the scale and use those notes for our cord.
C Chord will have the C, E, G notes and if you wanted to take this on out to Cmaj7 then you would add the B note. Let's just work with three note chords right now.
C = C-E-G or the 1-3-5 notes of the C major scale. Yep, as a bass player we deal in chord tones R-3-5-8, R-R-8-8, or R-R-3-3-5-5-6-5 all the time. This is where all that comes from.
For the next chord start on the D and skip a note for it's chord spelling. We get D-F-A or the 1-b3-5 notes of the D major scale. Look above at the D major scale it has the F# in it, but, here we will use the natural F and to do that we flat the F# and end up with the 1-b3-5 notes of the D major scale.
Isn't that great the next chord in the key of C is going to be Dm and skip a note let that b3 get in there and the Dm chord happened.
Em = E-G-B look at the E major scale. Yep it has a G# in it and we will be using the G, and yes to get that we flatted the G# to a G and end up with the 1-b3-5 notes of the E scale. Minor chords will always have a b3 or flatted third note.
F = F-A-C - check out the F major scale none of those notes are sharped so we end up with the 1-3-5 notes of the F major scale as being the notes in the F chord. Also notice F is a major chord and has a natural 3rd.
Something else worth mentioning here. The 8 is the same note as the 1 just up an octave so a bass line of R-3-5-8 is going to work nicely over any
major chord. If the chord is
minor insert a b3 and that combination now works over any minor chord. One exception - the diminished chord will have a b5 also. Some generic muscle memory bass lines that fit over a lot of chords will be a friend. Yep, get 4 or 5 generic go to bass lines into muscle memory.
OK you take it from here and make your own chart of the chords for the major scales - that fish thing. What do we use chords for? Background stuff - to harmonize the melody and to move the song along through the verse structure. You are telling a story and chords help you move the story along.
Arpeggios - are chords just sounded one note at a time. Normally all notes of the chord are sounded together all at once, but, with an arpeggio you sound them each separately normally in order.
Modes - Do your self a favor and do not get off into modes until you have exhausted everything you can do with scales. Modes are moods of the major scale. The major scale gives an attractive up beat mood if that is what you are looking for draw your melody notes from the major scale. If you want a sad, startled mood draw your notes from the natural minor scale. If you want something else ------- wait you are not ready to eat this elephant. Do NOT waste your time on modes until you run out of things to do with scales.
Some helps:
http://www.smithfowler.org/music/Chord_Formulas.htm http://www.looknohands.com/chordhous.../index_rb.html http://www.musilosophy.com/chord-charts.htm Still having problems with 2-5-1
This is too much to grasp all at one time. Print it off or bookmark it and use this string as a reference source the guys have given you some very good information.
Good luck.
