First: As everything we do starts with the Major scale let's start there. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Notice at the end of each lesson - bottom of the page - is a button to proceed to the next lesson.
Or do a Google using this key word -- WWHWWWH -- that will send you to several papers on the Major scale and how it is formed. The following chart helped me see the entire Major and Natural Minor scale, i.e the big picture on one sheet of paper:
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 Cats Go so the A major scale has three sharps, F#, C# and G#. Using these memory pegs eliminates the need for the above chart. Learn the pegs - that fish thing.
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
As scale charts are hard to find I recommend you print this off and keep it handy. And while we are at it
http://www.thecipher.com/fretspell_guitar.pdf will give you a guitar fretboard chart showing where the notes are on your fretboard. Print this off you will refer to it all the time. if you play a 4 string bass ignore the top two strings (the E & B) or here is the 4 string bass fretboard.
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Second: After you understand how the specific notes got into each scale I'd suggest some time with how the specific chords get into each key. When we use the word key we are speaking of a range of sound. That range of sound contains one specific scale and the chords in one specific key. To find which chords are in a key you apply the key structure formula to the specific scale you have in mind. Let's take the E scale and figure what chords are in the key of E.
Scale interval....... .... 1, .2,..... 3, ...4, ....5,.. 6,...7,.........8 new octave
E Scale......................E, F#,... G#,. A, ....B, .C#, .D#,...... E
Major key Formula ......I, ii,...... iii,.. IV,... V, .vi, ..viidim,... I
Chords in the key of E..E .F#m, G#m, A,.... B, C#m, D#dim,. E
Notice the formula I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viidim -- the upper case numbers become Major chords and the lower case numbers become minor chords. You have three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord in every Major key. For the specific notes in the chord go here;
chord house ::: guitar room (advanced) -- online guitar chords and scales
Formula for the natural minor key is:
i, iidim, III, iv, v, VI, VII. Notice the three major, three minor and one diminished chord -- same number of major, minor or diminished chords as the Major Key had.
For a chart of the chords found in the major keys go here [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Using the key formula for the natural minor key (i, iidim, III, iv, v, VI, VII) make your own chart for the natural minor chords.
Third: It's now time to learn how to use our scale chart and make those chords, i.e. how to make those powerchords your asking about.
Chord Formulas.
Or write out the scale and take every other note, for example E scale = E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# -- what notes are in the E chord? E - skip a note G# - then skip a note to get B. So E-G#-B are the notes found in the E major chord. Notes for the F# chord do the same thing I bet you get F#, A, C# which is the F#m chord spelling. Skip a note gave you the major AND the minor chord spelling. Learn both methods, because knowing the interval (1-3-5) is sometime more important than knowing the actual notes involved. Here is a paper on how to stack 3rds.
Code:
Purpose of this paper is to call attention to the skip-a-note method
of harmonizing a scale. Take the scale then by skipping a note you build
the chords for that scale. Skip a note is an easy way to identify the notes
within the chords of that scale. From that you can then using the chord’s
spelling to name the chord, i.e. 3 = major, b3 = minor, 7 = maj7,
b7 = dominant seventh or minor seventh, m7b5 = ½ diminished, b5 bb7 =
a full Diminished, etc. From there you can identify that specific chord’s
function within the key, i.e. I-IV-V, etc. This chart can be used as a study
of how chords are formed.
A Major Scale
Note Chord Spelling Chord Name Function
A A-C#-E-G# R-3-5-7 Amaj7 I Tonic
B B-D-F#-A R-b3-5-b7 Bm7 ii
C# C#-E-G#-B R-b3-5-b7 C#m7 iii
D D-F#-A-C# R-3-5-7 Dmaj7 IV Sub dominant
E E-G#-B-D R-3-5-b7 E7 V Dominant
F# F#-A-C#-E R-b3-5-b7 F#m7 iv
G# G#-B-D-F# R-b3-b5-b7 G#m7b5 vii ½ diminished
Question -- Why is the B chord minor? Were did that b3 come from? Well
the B [u]major[/u] scale has a D# and an A# in it's scale so when you ended up with
B-D-F#-A for the chord tones you flatted the 3rd and the 7th - and a
flatted 3rd and 7th gives a Bm7 chord -- Drum Roll!! Get a clean sheet of paper and
stack 3rds for the C scale. Use the above as your Rosetta stone. Once you've
stacked one scale you can stack any scale.
Forth: Time to learn what to do with those chords, i.e. how to put them into a chord progression. Go here
Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net then Lessons and Common Chord Progressions. Pay attention to what chords like to move to which other chords, i.e. why does the ii and IV like to move to the V or viidim chord. Build an understanding of how lyrics and chord progressions work together to form verses.
Fifth: Scale patterns next. As a beginner (to music theory) scale patterns right at first will get you playing your scales. If you use the pattern the pattern will place the notes of the scale under your fingertips automatically, if you stay within the scale. Go here
Cyberfret.com - basic guitar scales - print for the patterns to the Major and minor scale -- the Major and minor pentatonic scale and the Blues scale. This will help you play melodies, tunes, songs, etc within the same scale/key that the vocalist and rhythm section is using . If you use a 4 string bass ignore the top two strings or here are the 4 string bass patterns.
CyberfretBass.com - Basic scales for electric bass Scales are a right of passage thing, running our scales will get our fingers knowing where to go on our fretboard and also let our ear recognize the good notes from the bad notes. No matter what instrument we play scales must be a part of our practice routine.
Here is a little something for the bass players:
Bass Patterns based upon the Major Scale box.
Code:
Major Scale Box.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string
Basic Chords
• Major Triad = R-3-5
• Minor Triad = R-b3-5
• Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5
7th Chords
• Maj7 = R-3-5-7
• Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
• Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
• ½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
• Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7
See a chord and play it's chord tones. As every key will have three major, three minor and one diminished chord it's a good idea to get your major, minor and diminished bass line chord tones into muscle memory so when you see a chord your fingers just know what will work. Now the song may only give you enough room for the root, or root five - adapt and get as many chord tones into your bass line as needed. Root on 1 and a steady groove from the other chord tones plus something to call attention to the chord change will keep you gigging.
Scales
• Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7 Home base
• Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Leave out the 4 & 7
• Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted.
• Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Leave out the 2 & 6.
• Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the blue note b5 added.
• Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Natural minor with a natural 7.
• Melodic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Major scale with a b3.
Let the major scale be your home base then change a few notes and you have something different. No need to memorize a zillion patterns. Let the major scale pattern be your go to pattern - then adapt/adjust from there.
Sixth: Melody - saved this for last. Melody notes are comfortable over chords that have some of the same notes. In other words, when the melody moves on to new notes - not found in the old chord -- your ear will tell you something is not right. When that happens it's time to change chords -- find a chord that does contain some of the melody notes now being used. Yep. That's it. This chart will help.
Quote:
If you are trying to harmonize the ........
1 degree of the scale try I, IV, vi or ii7 chords of that key, as they will have the 1st degree note in their makeup.
2 degree of the scale try V, ii7, iii7 chords of that key.
3 degree of the scale try I, vi, iii chords of that key.
4 degree of the scale try IV, ii, v7 chords of that key.
5 degree of the scale try V, I, iii chords of that key.
6 degree of the scale try IV, ii, vi chords of that key.
7 degree of the scale try V7, iii, Imaj7 chords of that key.
That's why people tell you to play chord tones. That's why pentatonic scales played over the chord changes work so well. Keep this in mind as you travel on down your music road. Here is a great paper on how to write melodies:
Exercises in melody-writing; a systematic course of melodic composition designed for the use of young music students, chiefly as a course of exercise collateral with the study of harmony : Goetschius, Percy, 1853-1943 : Free Download & Streaming : In
This site talks about wave action. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
In the following video watch his right hand. Copy down the hints that appear on the screen. His left hand is a great example of one bass line riff being used over the entire song.
Peace Piece (Bill Evans) - solo jazz piano - YouTube
An observation - running a scale or mode and using it as melody. Our ear likes four note phrases. A scale or mode with the last 8 or octave note is a total of eight notes. Play them in four note phrases, pause in the middle, then end with the four note arpeggio. Or four note arpeggio first then the scale/mode in two four note phrases. Just something to think about. A string of notes becomes noise. Melodic phrases become tunes.
Here is a site that will answer questions for you. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] It and
Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net should answer most of the question that might come up. And of course ask them here, someone will always be ready to help.
The above will keep you busy for several months --- keep doing what you are now in your practice session, but, schedule some extra time each day to go over the above. When you understand the basics there are some great articles waiting for you on this site. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
IMHO music theory should be learned in a specific order - like I've given you - some of it will not be clear today, but next week you will read something unrelated and everything will clear up. Just keep plugging along.
Good luck.
Mel Bay book is pretty good.
