Fork In The Road Music

These are lessons 2 and 3 of an online lesson on Basic Chord Theory and the Nashville Numbering system. This lesson deals with how to put together scales and chords. It is built on lesson one which talked about intervals and whole and half steps.

Part II – Scales

A scale is made up of a combination of intervals sequentially ascending or descending. For our purpose we will be looking at Major scales. Each scale will include one of every letter (A-G) of the musical alphabet.

Major Scales- Major scales pattern of steps is W W H W W W H
To figure out the scale start on any given note. Lets take C for an example. Then just move up the required step to get the next note. Then proceed from there till the end.

C (W) D (W) E (H) F (W) G (W) A (W) B (H) C

Ex. 3. Try creating a scale in the following Keys. The first letter and some of the others have been filled in to help you.

_D_ (W)____ (W)____(H)____(W)____(W)____(W)____(H)____

_G_ (W)____ (W)____(H)____(W)____(W)____(W)____(H)____

_A_ (W)____ (W)____(H)____(W)____(W)____(W)____(H)____

_E_ (W)____ (W)____(H)____(W)____(W)____(W)____(H)____


Part III- Chords

A chord is two or more tones played simultaneously. For the purposes of this lesson we will be dealing with major, minor and diminished tritones. Tri meaning three and tones meaning tones or notes. So a tritone would be three notes played at the same time.

Remember about whole steps and half steps? Well chords use that same concept as intervals. After chords are just combinations of intervals. A major chord consists of two intervals. The first interval is two whole steps, the second is a whole step and a half step. So to make a C Major chord you start with the root note. (The root note or tonic is the note the chord starts on)
and count up from there. Here is an example

Starting note is C two whole steps takes you to E and a half step and whole step take you to G

Note: Two whole steps are called a Major 3rd, A whole step and half step are called a Minor 3rd

Simplified it looks like this; C (W)(W) E (H)(W) G or C (major third) E (minor third) G

You can also find it by writing out the scale you are using and choose every other note:

C D E F G A    B C

Ex 3. Try writing out the following major chords in the key of G (Hint use the G scale above)

G major =  G B  __   D__

C major =  C     ____   ____

D major =  D     ____   ____

A minor chord consists of the opposite intervals. The first interval is a half step and whole step, the second interval is two whole steps, or a Minor third and then a Major third.

Use the same C scale but start a chord on D

D (H)(W) F (W)(W) A

Ex 4. Try writing out the following minor chords in the key of G (Hint use the G scale above)

A minor =  A C  __   E__

B minor =  B     ____   ____

E minor =  B     ____   ____

Please feel free to use this with your praise team or for personal study. If you want the answers I can get those to you. If you missed it, view lesson one here.

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