The Major Chord Scale
As we saw in the Jazz Chords section of this site, you can derive a major 7 chord by using the tonic note of the scale as the root note of the chord. We can derive further chords by using the other notes of the scale as root notes for said chords. Consider the following major scale:
Highlighted by a slur are the points in the scale where semitones naturally occur (E and F are only a semitone apart, as are B and C). When using the correct key signature, this is the pattern that all major scales follow. The pattern is as follows (where T is two notes a tone apart, and St is two notes a semitone apart:
T T St T T T St
As all major scales follow the same pattern, it stands to reason that you will be able to build chords of the same quality for all major scales. If we go through the process of creating a four note chord for each note of the scale shown above, we end up with the chord scale depicted below:
T T St T T T St
As all major scales follow the same pattern, it stands to reason that you will be able to build chords of the same quality for all major scales. If we go through the process of creating a four note chord for each note of the scale shown above, we end up with the chord scale depicted below:
From this diagram we can commit to memory the following information about major keys:
- Chord I is major 7. Note that sometimes it may be major 6 (C E G A) when the melody note is the 6th, or the melody note is the tonic (to avoid a semitonal clash with the 7th).
- Chord II is always minor 7
- Chord III is always minor 7
- Chord IV is always major 7
- Chord V is always dominant 7
- Chord VI is always minor 7
- Chord VII is always minor 7 flat 5 (see Chord Extensions & Alterations)