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Archive for the ‘Theory’ Category

ClockFace – Transpose Chords(updated)

Want to transpose your chord progression into another key?

Then here is a little tool that should help.

This tool can be used to learn key signatures, modes, chords within key and relative minor.

Other uses could be when transposing chords using a capo.

Again I’ll write some more about using this tool for other uses.

Using the ClockFace:

The two inner circles have notes written on them.

The inner coloured circle is the ‘key’ in which your chords to be transposed are.

The outer circle from that are the notes from the ‘Key of C’

If you look at the buttons under transpose there are letters next to each button.

Pressing a button will change the ‘inner circle’ – so pressing the D button will change the inner circles notes to those of D Major – while the outer circle stays as C Major.

You can then look for you chords in relation to ‘C’ – Try it out.

The Outer circle has letters printed on it – ‘m’, ‘M’ and ‘dim’

‘m’ = minor

‘M’ = Major

‘dim’ = diminished

These relate to the chords.

The inner circle from that has roman numerals printed in it, ie ‘I’, ‘II’, ‘III’, ‘IV’ etc

These relate to the degree in the scale.

To use this tool for modes use the roman numerals:

I = Ionian/Major

II = Dorian

III = Phygian

IV = Lydian

V = Mixolydian

VI = Aeolian/Relative Minor

VII = Locrian

Tags: capo, chords, key signature, keys, transpose, transposing |

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The Key Of C Major

The key of C major is the easiest key to get to know.

This article deals with it’s principles, key signature, chords, relative minor and modes.

It also contains links to related articles on this site.

First the key signature.

This bit is the easiest bit.

When you look at the clef, you will see no sharps or flats indicated.

This is because the key of C has none.

C Major Scale

The C Major scale has the following notes: C D E F G A B

The Key of C has the following chords: C Dm Em F G Am Bdim

It’s relative Key is A Minor.

It’s Modes are:

D Dorian
E Phrygian
F Lydian
G Mixolydian
A Aeolian(natural minor)
B Locrian

Related Articles:

Minor Scale Construction

Before you begin take a look at how a major scale is constructed

Look at the C-major scale

C D E F G A B C

Find the sixth note. (The submediant). That note is ‘A’.

Now write a scale, starting on the ‘A‘,and proceed upwards for one octave.

A B C D E F G A

Now if you have already looked at how major scales are created you should know that Cmajor has no sharps or flats. This is the same for Aminor which has the same key signature as it is the relative minor of Cmajor.

So to find the relative minor of a major scale, find the sixth note of the major. That note is the note upon which the relative minor would be built.

The type of minor scale you just learned to construct is called a natural minor scale. Sometimes you may see them referred to as “Pure minor“.

There are two other types of minor scales you need to learn: the harmonic minor and melodic minor.

————————
HARMONIC MINOR:
To form a harmonic minor scale, take the natural minor, and raise the seventh note. To change the A-minor scale above into a harmonic minor scale, we would raise the seventh note, the ‘G‘ to become a ‘G#’. Here it is:

A B C D E F G# A

—————————
MELODIC MINOR:
To form a melodic minor scale, take the natural minor, raise the sixth AND seventh note on the way up, and put them back to their “natural” state going down. Because the melodic minor looks different going up than it does going down, you must write a melodic minor ascending and descending. Here is a A Melodic minor scale:

A B C D E F# G# A G F E D C B A

—————————–

You should learn all these types of minor scale.

————————-
Determining Key Signatures of Minor Keys
Hopefully you should know how to use a major scale, find the note upon which the relative minor scale will be constructed, and write the three different types of minor scale.

But what happens when you are asked to write the key signature of Aminor ?

As you know, a minor scale and its relative major will share the same key signature. In the case of A-minor, you know that ‘A’ is the sixth note of Cmajor scale. Simply go up a whole tone, plus a semitone. This will get you the relative major. So a whole tone plus a semitone above ‘A’ is ‘C’. C-major will use the same key signature as A-minor.

If you’ve understood the page dedicated to major scale construction you will already know that C-major has no sharps or flats. So now you also know that A-minor has no sharps or flats as well.

Tags: minor scale, minor scale construction, mode, Theory |

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Major Scale Construction

The major scale is constructed like this:

TONE, TONE, SEMITONE, TONE, TONE, TONE, SEMITONE

So if we use Cmajor as an example,
C D E F G A B C

C – D	TONE
D – E	TONE
E – F	SEMITONE
F – G	TONE
G – A	TONE
A – B	TONE
B – C	SEMITONE

So Using the following:

TONE, TONE, SEMITONE, TONE, TONE, TONE, SEMITONE

We can make all major scales:

Lets use Dmajor as an example:
D E F# G A B C# D

D – E	TONE
E – F#	TONE
F# – G	SEMITONE
G – A	TONE
A – B	TONE
B – C#	TONE
C# – D	SEMITONE

Other ways of working out scales can be done like this:
For scales that have sharps(#)
If we start with C major

C D E F G A B C

Go up to the fifth degree of the scale to G and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.

G A B C D E F G

Retain the sharps (#) from the previous scale – (with Cmajor we have no sharps or flats)

Add a sharp (#) to the seventh note:

G A B C D E F# G

———————————–

So using this again:

G A B C D E F# G

Go up to the fifth degree of the scale to D and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.

D E F# G A B C D

Retain the sharps (#) from the previous scale – (with Gmajor has an F#)

Add a sharp (#) to the seventh note:

D E F# G A B C# D

———————————–

Follow this through and you will get all the major scales that have sharps in their key signature.

A major scale has the notes: A B C# D E F# G# A

E major scale has the notes: E F# G# A B C# D# E

B major scale has the notes: B C# D# E F# G# A# B

F# major scale has the notes: F# G # A# B C# D# E# F#

C# major scale has the notes: C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

——————————-
Major scales with flats (b)
Again using Cmajor as our starting point.

C D E F G A B C

Go up to the fourth degree of the scale to F and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.

F G A B C D E F

Retain the flats (b) from the previous scale (Cmajor has no sharps or flats)

Add a flat (b) to the fourth note

F G A Bb C D E F

——————–

So following this through:

Take Fmajor:

F G A Bb C D E F

Go up to the fourth degree of the scale to F and start following the musical alphabet through to the octave.

Bb C D E F G A Bb

We now have our next major scale that has flats in it – this being Bb major

Retain the flats (b) from the previous scale (Bb major already has, as you can see a Bb)

Add a flat (b) to the fourth note

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

Bb major scale has the notes Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

Eb major scale has the notes Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Ab major scale has the notes Ab Bb C Db Eb G Ab

Db major scale has the notes Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

Gb major scale has the notes Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb

Cb major scale has the notes Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb

—————————————

Each note of a scale has a name – below using Cmajor as an example – the table shows both the name and the number of each degree of the scale – the numbers are always represented by a roman numeral

Note	Degree of scale	Name
C	I	TONIC
D	II	SUPERTONIC
E	III	MEDIANT
F	IV	SUBDOMINANT
G	V	DOMINANT
A	VI	SUBMEDIANT
B	VII	LEADING TONE

Tags: c major, intervals, major scale, semitones, Theory, tones |

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Working with Intervals (part 3) Major 3rd

Continued form part 2…

In the previous article we looked at the Major 2nd.

In the following article we’re going to concentrate on the Major 2nd and touch on the Minor 2nd.

As with the previous article screen shots will be used to explain how to play each interval and then at the end I’ll talk about uses of each interval.

If you’ve landed on this page without reading my previous articles it would be a good idea to read those articles first.

Theory: Working with Intervals (part 1)

Working with Intervals (part 2) Major 2nd

——————————————————————————————————-

As before the following is in the Key of C

:::Major 3rd:::

Piano Roll:

Staff View:

Piano:

Guitar TAB:

The above examples show the

Major 2nd Interval being played together.

Try plying the notes seperately, First C then E

Piano Roll:

Staff View:

Piano:

Piano: Play the ‘red dotted’ key first(C) then the ‘blue dotted’ key(E)

Guitar TAB: First note is C Second note is E

Playing the above interval in sequence or together is good practice, as with the Major 2nd play it repeatedly in both variations.

Why not play the Major 2nd with the Major 3rd following, try it in both variants.

The Major 3rd interval is important in your Major Chord spelling.

It’s the integral part of the chord, it gives the chord it’s moniker.

C – E = a Major 3rd – the chord of C Major is C – E – G

If the Major 3rd is altered, ie the 3rd, the E is flattened by a semitine we get a Minor 3rd interval.

C – Eb = a Minor 3rd – the chord of C Minor is C – Eb – G

——————————————————————————————————-

When playing or writing a melody the usage of the Major 3rd or Minor 3rd interval has an immediate impact.

Experimenting and listening is the best way to get to grips with this imformation.

When creating harmony you can of course use Major or Minor 3rds dependent on key.

That is unless you are using purely ‘powerchords’ or ‘5th chords’ – more about 5ths in a future article.

To use the the 3rd notes as harmony, record one guitar/piano playing the C.

Now while that track is being played back try playing your 3rd over the top, try the major 3rd first, then try the minor 3rd.

The effect you’ll get will sound different than playing the two notes at the same time on one instrument.

Stacking 3rds is an interesting concept,

Going back to the C Major Chord,

C – E = a Major 3rd – the chord of C Major is C – E – G

In the chord spelling article I wrote a chords spelling is Root/3rd/5th.

That is the second two notes the 3rd and the 5th are intervals of C

C – E = Major 3rd and E – G = Perfect 5th.

To look at it another way using 3rds,

C – E = Major 3rd and E – G = a Minor 3rd

Let’s take this further by adding another 3rd interval,

If we add a major 3rd to G we get B

This gives us a chord spelling of,

C – E – G – B

C – E = Major 3rd – E – G = a Minor 3rd - G – B = Major 3rd

This gives us the chord of C Major 7.

You can go further and have chords of 5 notes, 9th chords or 6 notes 11th chords and 7 notes gives us 13th chords.

So ok figuring out these chords on guitar is a pain but it does open up your thinking a great deal both melodically and harmonically.

This kind of thinking though is not directly linked to your ‘main’ instrument.

When you’re arranging you’ve now got a lot of options.

Imagine you have a peice with piano, guitar and bass.

Using the ranges each instrument occupies and notes rather than chords to create ’stacked’ chords we can get interesting sounds and open up your music in unique ways.

Take the chord progression C/ Am/ G/ Dm

As a simple piano or guitar chord progression it could sound quite uninspired.

But if you take the Root note and have your bass play those.

Your piano plays the 3rd and the guitar plays the 5th.

Bass: C A G D

Piano: E C B F

Guitar: G E D A

You could invert each chord, Which would mean playing a note an octave lower,

In the following example the Bass note is now playing the 3rd,

The Piano is now playing the 5th,

And the Guitar is playing the Root but an octave higher.

This is ineffect an inverted chord,