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Chords and Scales

Chord Names

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Symbol | Name | Scale degrees | Notes in the key of
C
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5 | Power chord | 1, 5 |
C
G
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | Major | 1, 3, 5 |
C
E
G
| | m | Minor | 1, m3, 5 |
C
Eb
G
| | sus2 | Suspended 2nd | 1, 2, 5 |
C
D
G
| | sus4 | Suspended 4th | 1, 4, 5 |
C
F
G
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | dim, o | Diminished | 1, m3, b5 |
C
Eb
Gb
| | b5 | Flat 5 | 1, 3, b5 |
C
E
Gb
| | aug, + | Augmented | 1, 3, #5 |
C
E
G#
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6 | Added 6th | 1, 3, 5, 6 |
C
E
G
A
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7 | Dominant 7th | 1, 3, 5, m7 |
C
E
G
Bb
| | m7 | Minor 7th | 1, m3, 5, m7 |
C
Eb
G
Bb
| | maj7, Δ | Major 7th | 1, 3, 5, 7 |
C
E
G
B
| | maj6 | Major 6th | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
C
E
G
A
B
| | 7b5 | Dominant 7 Flat 5 | 1, 3, b5, m7 |
C
E
Gb
Bb
| | m7b5, ø | Half-Diminished | 1, m3, b5, m7 |
C
Eb
Gb
Bb
| | m(maj7) | Minor Major 7th | 1, m3, 5, 7 |
C
Eb
G
B
| | dim7, o7 | Diminished 7th | 1, m3, b5, bb7 |
C
Eb
Gb
A
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9 | Dominant 9th | 1, 3, 5, m7, 9 |
C
E
G
Bb
D
| | maj9 | Major 9th | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 |
C
E
G
B
D
| | m9 | Minor 9th | 1, m3, 5, m7, 9 |
C
Eb
G
Bb
D
| | 6/9 | 6add9 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 |
C
E
G
A
D
| | 7#9 | Hendrix chord | 1, 3, 5, m7, #9 |
C
E
G
Bb
D#
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11 | Dominant 11th | 1, 3, 5, m7, 9, 11 |
C
E
G
Bb
D
F
| | maj11 | Major 11th | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 |
C
E
G
B
D
F
| | m11 | Minor 11th | 1, m3, 5, m7, 9, 11 |
C
Eb
G
Bb
D
F
| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13 | Dominant 13th | 1, 3, 5, m7, 9, 11, 13 |
C
E
G
Bb
D
F
A
| | maj13 | Major 13th | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 |
C
E
G
B
D
F
A
| | m13 | Minor 13th | 1, m3, 5, m7, 9, 11, 13 |
C
Eb
G
Bb
D
F
A
| +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ More Stacked 3rds ================= 9th == octave 2nd 11th == octave 4th 13th == octave 6th You may see +/- instead of #/b (e.g. 7b5 = 7-5, or 7#9 = 7+9). Diminished Chords ================= The dim7 chord (o) is constructed from four stacked minor thirds (1,m3,b5,bb7). The bb7 in the dim7 chord is equivalent to the 6th degree of the scale. The inversions of these chords overlap, so there are only 3 unique dim7 chords:
Cdim7
=
D#dim7
=
F#dim7
=
Adim7
=
xx1212
C#dim7
=
Edim7
=
Gdim7
=
A#dim7
=
xx2323
Ddim7
=
Fdim7
=
G#dim7
=
Bdim7
=
xx3434
Geometrically, they form a square on the circle of fifths. The m7b5 chord (ø) is sometimes called "half-diminished" due to the absence of the bb7. A half-diminished chord can be played as a minor triad (based on the minor 3rd) over the root:
Cm7b5
=
Ebm/c
 Augmented Chords ================ Augmented 5th chords are constructed from three stacked major thirds (1,3,#5). The inversions of these chords overlap, so there are only 4 unique augmented chords:
C+
=
E+
=
G#+
C#+
=
F+
=
A+
D+
=
F#+
=
A#+
D#+
=
B+
=
G+
Geometrically, they form an equilateral triangle on the circle of fifths. An augmented minor triad produces an inverted major triad based on the raised 5th:
Cm+
=
G#/c


Circle of Fifths

+----+ |
C
| +----+ +----+ +----+ |
F
| |
G
| +----+
Am
+----+ +----+
Dm
Em
+----+ |
Bb
| |
D
| +----+ +----+
Gm
Bm
+----+ +----+ |
Eb
|
Cm
F#m
|
A
| +----+ +----+
Fm
C#m
+----+ +----+ |
Ab
| |
E
| +----+
Bbm
G#m
+----+ +----+
Ebm
+----+ |
Db
| |
B
| +----+ +----+ +----+ |
Gb
| +----+ +---------------+ | Notes in key | +--------------------------------------+---------------+ | Degree | Name | Mode |
C
|
Cm
| |--------|----------------|------------|-------|-------| | 1 | Tonic | Ionian |
C
|
C
| | 2 | Supertonic | Dorian |
D
|
D
| | 3 | Mediant | Phrygian |
E
|
Eb
| | 4 | Subdominant | Lydian |
F
|
F
| | 5 | Dominant | Mixolydian |
G
|
G
| | 6 | Submediant | Aeolian |
A
|
Ab
| | 7 | Leading Tone | Locrian |
B
|
Bb
| | 1 | Tonic | Ionian |
C
|
C
| +------------------------------------------------------+

Scales

C
Ionian Scale (Major)
+----------------------------------+ | W | W | h | W | W | W | h | +---------------------------------------+ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | +---------------------------------------+ |
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
A
|
B
|
C
| +---------------------------------------+ Do - Re - Mi - Fa - Sol- La - Ti - Do! +-------------------------------+ | Harmonised Scale | +-----------+-----------+-------+ | Intervals | Notes | Chord | +---+-----------+-----------+-------+ | 1 | 1 3 5 |
C
E
G
|
C
| | 2 | 2 4 6 |
D
F
A
|
Dm
| | 3 | 3 5 7 |
E
G
B
|
Em
| | 4 | 4 6 1 |
F
A
C
|
F
| | 5 | 5 7 2 |
G
B
D
|
G
| | 6 | 6 1 3 |
A
C
E
|
Am
| | 7 | 7 2 4 |
B
D
F
|
Bdim
| | 1 | 1 3 5 |
C
E
G
|
C
| +---+-----------+-----------+-------+ 1
|-7--|-8*-|----|----|----|
|----|-8--|----|-10-|----|
|-7--|----|-9--|-10-|----|
|-7--|----|-9--|-10*|----|
|-7--|-8--|----|-10-|----|
|----|-8*-|----|-10-|----|
 2
|-10-|----|----|----|----|
|-10-|----|-12-|-13*|----|
|-10-|----|-12-|----|----|
|-10*|----|-12-|----|-14-|
|-10-|----|-12-|----|-14-|
|-10-|----|-12-|-13-|----|
 3
|-12-|----|----|----|----|
|-12-|-13*|----|-15-|----|
|-12-|----|-14-|----|----|
|-12-|----|-14-|-15-|----|
|-12-|----|-14-|-15*|----|
|-12-|-13-|----|-15-|----|
 4
|-1--|----|-3--|----|----|
|----|----|-3--|----|-5--|
|----|-2--|----|-4--|-5*-|
|----|-2--|-3--|----|-5--|
|----|-2--|-3*-|----|-5--|
|----|----|-3--|----|-5--|
 5
|-5--|----|----|----|----|
|-5--|-6--|----|-8--|----|
|-5*-|----|-7--|----|----|
|-5--|----|-7--|----|-9--|
|-5--|----|-7--|-8--|----|
|-5--|----|-7--|-8*-|----|

Non-Diatonic Chords

Secondary dominants =================== Secondary dominant chords work by temporarily treating the target chord as the tonic of an intermediate key. The V chord in this intermediate key can be used to add leading-tone tension and thus increase the strength of the resolution to the target chord. This is also called the "tonicisation" of the target chord. Key:
C
+-----+-----------+----------+ |
A7
| V/ii | ->
Dm
| Maxwell's Silver Hammer (B7 -> Em in
D
) |
B7
| V/iii | ->
Em
| Sexy Sadie (F#7 -> Bm in
G
) |
C7
| V/IV (I) | ->
F
| Don't Think Twice (E7 -> A in
E
) |
D7
| V/V | ->
G
| Honky Tonk Women (A7 -> D in
G
) |
E7
| V/vi | ->
Am
| Hallelujah (E7 -> Am in
C
) +-----+-----------+----------+ Note that there is no V/vii because the vii chord is diminished, so it cannot be treated as a I chord, even temporarily. Interrupted Resolution ====================== An example of V/V in the key of D is Eight Days A Week. Here the V/V (E) resolves to a G (the IV, not the V). This is an example of interrupted resolution.

Fretboard Layouts

Most fretted stringed instruments are chromatic, meaning there are frets at each semitone interval. The guitar octave below will work for any of these. However, the dulcimer is fretted diatonically, meaning that only the diatonic scale is available (and maybe the flattened seventh, if there is a 6+ fret). +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ Guitar |
C
|
Db
|
D
|
Eb
|
E
|
F
|
Gb
|
G
|
Ab
|
A
|
Bb
|
B
|
C
| +----+---------+---------+----+---------+---------+----+---------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +---------+---------+----+---------+---------+----+----+----+ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6+ | 7 | +----+---------+---------+----+---------+---------+----+----+----+ Dulcimer |
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
A
|
Bb
|
B
|
C
| +----+---------+---------+----+---------+---------+----+----+----+

Diatonic Harmonica Positions

Notes on a
C
harp (including
overblows
and
overdraws
): +----+ |
Bb
| +----+ +--------------+ +--------------+ |
Eb
| |
Eb
|
F#
|
Bb
| |
Eb
|
F#
|
B
| +-------------------------------------------------+ |
C
|
E
|
G
|
C
|
E
|
G
|
C
|
E
|
G
|
C
| blow ↑ +-------------------------------------------------+ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | draw ↓ +-------------------------------------------------+ |
D
|
G
|
B
|
D
|
F
|
A
|
B
|
D
|
F
|
A
| +-------------------------------------------------+ |
Db
|
F#
|
Bb
|
Db
| |
Ab
|
C#
| |
Ab
|
C#
| +-------------------+ +---------+ +---------+ |
F
|
A
| +---------+ |
Ab
| +----+ +------------------+----------+-----------------+--------+---------------------------------------+ |
C
harp position | Song key | Interval (Mode) | Root | Song example | +------------------+----------+-----------------+--------+---------------------------------------+ | 1st (straight) |
C
| 1 (Ionian) | 1 blow | Mr Tambourine Man | | 2nd (cross) |
G
| 5 (Mixolydian) | 2 draw | Don't Think Twice, It's All Right | | 3rd (slant) |
Dm
| 2 (Dorian) | 1 draw | The River | | 4th |
Am
| 6 (Aeolian) | 6 draw | All Along The Watchtower | | 5th |
Em
| 3 (Phrygian) | 2 blow | As I Went Out One Morning | | 6th |
Bdim
| 7 (Locrian) | 3 draw | ??? | | 12th |
F
| 4 (Lydian) | 5 draw | Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts | +------------------+----------+-----------------+--------+---------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------+ | Harp and Position | +----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Song key | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 12th | +----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ |
C
|
C
|
F
| | | |
G
| +----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ |
Am
| | |
G
|
C
|
F
| | +----------+------+------+------+------+------+------+

Tonewheel Organ Settings

* * * * * +-----------------------------------------------------+ | 16' | 5½' | 8' | 4' | 2⅔' | 2' | 1⅗' | 1⅓' | 1' | +-----------------------------------------------------+ | I | V | I | I | V | I | III | V | I | +-----------------------------------------------------+ |
C
|
G
|
C
|
C
|
G
|
C
|
E
|
G
|
C
| +-----------------------------------------------------+ Classic
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