Fundamental Chords

[Kuark]

Right now I am going through a scale both, major and minor, a day during my practice time and memorizing all the root notes and patterns to a T. Then I am also going to take chords and memorize the arpeggios for each chord associated with that root note. Obviously I cant go over ever variation of chord out there in a day so what are the most fundamental chords that you should learn first along with major, min?

 

[bassplayertom77]

7th, major 7th, and minor 7th chords are commonly used. Getting familiar with those will help tremendously.

 

[EADG mx]

Half-Diminished

Fully Diminished

Augmented

 

[Pacman]

Maj 7
Min 7
Dom 7
Min 7(b5)
Dim 7
Aug 7
Min(maj7)

 

[Dave Grossman]

Check out:
http://www.guitar-and-bass.com/

should help.

- Dave

 

[Dave Grossman]

For example:

- Dave

 

[Asher S]

Here's an older post of mine that might also help. Just another approach, nothing more.

A little about CHORDS​

the basic triad consists of the root (1), third (3), and fifth (5).

To understand major vs minor, and "perfect" vs diminished vs augmented, you should know that in the 8-note scale (including the octave), only the 4 and 5 can be diminished (flattened a half tone). All the other notes (2, 3, 6, 7) are "minor" when flattened a half tone. Sharpening a half tone yields an augmented "X" (2-7).

So, with this in mind, and using the C Ionian scale (C D E F G A B C) the main triads are:

MAJOR: C E G
MINOR: C Eb G
DIMINISHED: C Eb Gb
AUGMENTED: C E G#

Now, if you add in a fourth note to the chord (commonly the 7th) you need to know that in the notation, one "maj" refers to the 7th being major (a half-tone below the octave) and one "min" (or just "m") refers to the 3rd (being flat). The 3rd default is MAJOR and the 7th default is MINOR... SO:

C Maj 7: C E G B (C major triad + major 7th: B is a half-tone below C)
C Dominant 7 (Or just C7) : C E G Bb (C major triad + minor 7th)
C min 7: C Eb G Bb (C minor triad + minor 7th)
C Diminished 7: C Eb Gb Bbb (C diminished with double flat B, which is equivalent to an A)
C Minor Major 7: C Eb G B (C minor triad + major 7)

Then you can get into 6ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, sus4 etc etc...

A good book that explains this (and much more) is the Total Jazz Bassist by Overthrow & Ferguson.

I hope that helps.

 

[mambo4]

As you learn chord arpeggios (pacman's list is solid)
be sure to learn how the chords fit into a scale.

For example, each of the 7 tones in the major scale can be seen as the root of an implied chord, whose chord tones are taken form the scale. that's where all the I-IV-V and ii-V7-I stuff comes from. Each roman numeral represents the scale tone and the chord it implies

For all seven scale tones it looks like : I-ii-iii-IV-V7-vi-vii(dim).
Capital letters (I-IV-V ) are major chords, lower case (ii-iii-vi) are minor.

so harmonizing a C major scale looks like:
C-Dmin-Emin-F-G7-Amin-Bdim.

This way you will be practicing chord arpeggios with an ear toward understanding how the all relate to whatever key you are in.

 

[Kuark]

As you learn chord arpeggios (pacman's list is solid)
be sure to learn how the chords fit into a scale.

For example, each of the 7 tones in the major scale can be seen as the root of an implied chord, whose chord tones are taken form the scale. that's where all the I-IV-V and ii-V7-I stuff comes from. Each roman numeral represents the scale tone and the chord it implies

For all seven scale tones it looks like : I-ii-iii-IV-V7-vi-vii(dim).
Capital letters (I-IV-V ) are major chords, lower case (ii-iii-vi) are minor.

so harmonizing a C major scale looks like:
C-Dmin-Emin-F-G7-Amin-Bdim.

This way you will be practicing chord arpeggios with an ear toward understanding how the all relate to whatever key you are in.

I understand what your example means but I dont understand why it is harmonized that way. Is that the only way to harmonize a c major scale or did you just pick to do it that way. If that is the only way does it transfer the same way to other scales so a D major would harmonize as

D-Emin-F#min-G-A7-Bmin-C#dim

Anybody have more input on this to explain it out or have a link to an article explaining the theory behind it in more detail?


Also what are the formulas for

Min 7(b5)
Dim 7
Aug 7
Min(maj7)

I am assuming Min7(b5) is the same as min7 but with the 5 also flated

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Sometimes it's best to have somebody who has a good background in musical fundamentals and has an organized approach work with you, rather than cobbling together a bunch of info typing to people on the internet.

If you are building chords in C major, you only have the notes of the C major scale to work with, right?

C D E F G A B C

And you make chords by stacking thirds, right?

C d E f G a B or C E G B or Cmajor7, right? So go through the rest of the scale making chords by stacking thirds on whatever note you start with. That gets you the "diatonically harmonized" C major scale that mambo gave you. Not because somebody "decided" to do it that way. And I think your question may be pointing at -

Does that mean that because you are playing a song in Cmajor you're never going to see a D7 or a Bmajor7 or even an F#7b9#9b13? No, because there are modulations, secondary dominants, modal interchange, substitutions and the flat out "the only chord the composer knows how to play with F# for the root is a b9#9b13.

Teachers (well, good teachers) are great at assembling the information you need at the time you need it so that supports building a good foundation and so that you can see the path ahead.

 

[Ziltoid]

Link Removed