Chords are parts of scales

The first concept to understand is that chords are parts of scales. A Cmaj7 chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of a C maj scale. It could also be the 4th, 6th, 1st, and 3rd of a G maj scale, etc. The notes in a Cmin7 chord can be members of a Bb maj scale, or maybe an F min scale, whatever. Chords like this are said to be diatonic because all the chord tones belong to a scale, (or key). See example below. Thus, chords can represent keys, (or tonal areas). This principle is the place we will begin our study of harmony and comping.

Scales are like family

Let’s start with major and minor scales. In this lesson we will take a fresh look at how to practice and learn scales. The methods we will use are a departure from the traditional ways we are taught, and will have a direct and immediate application when learning how to create chord voicings spontaneously and creatively. So listen up!

Your goal is to get to know each note of every scale as well as you know each member of your family. For example, if someone asks you the name of your mother, you don’t really have to think about it, you just know it. If someone asks you for the name of the 11th degree of a Bmaj scale, you should also be able to identify it quickly and confidently. This lesson will help to re-acquaint you with the all the members of the family of major and minor scales.

Interactive game. Hit GO!

Try out the interactive exercise below to see how quickly and accurately you can identify different notes in a scale. When you hit “Go” you will be asked to name a member of a scale. You can choose to work with major scales or minor scales (meaning natural minor: flat 3rd, flat 6th, flat 7th) Select your answer as quickly as possible. You will be given the correct answer automatically in 10 seconds. You can increase the speed as you get more proficient. After you get your answer click GO again to get more questions. Spending a few minutes a day with this will help you to identify any note of a scale quickly, which is exactly what you do when you comp – analyze the key of the moment and select an appropriate group of notes to build your chord voicing.

DISCLAIMER: The computer programs that are used for these exercises were authored by me, a non-programmer. They have been tested exhaustively, but there could still be an occasional glitch. You may run into some enharmonic spellings, for instance.

Phone Book Game

Next, here’s something that I call the phone book exercise! The idea is to take the 7 notes in a scale and mix them up. What you get can look like a phone number, 573-1642, or maybe 741-2356. You can create these patterns yourself. Just make sure you use all 7 notes. When you practice your phone number play it steadily at a slow pace, and transpose it through the 12 keys. (see example 1). Select a tempo and key and play each note in order 5 3 6 1 4 2 7. Don’t stop if you can’t find one, just keep going. Do it 2 or 3 times if needed, then move to another key. Try expanding this to 2 octaves to sharpen your recognition of the tensions – 9 11 and 13. (see example 2). Again, the procedure is to make up a sequence (your “phone number”), memorize it and play it in different keys. You can apply this exercise to all the different minor scales, the modes, diminished scales, etc. This should help you gain a more intimate knowledge of scales; just the kind of knowledge you need to be great at comping.

Try it on a familiar tune

Pick an interesting melodic phrase from a tune you like and transpose the phrase. One of my favorites is the opening line to Bill Evans’ “Comrad Conrad”. See example below. Other good tunes to choose might be the opening to “Invitation” or “Recordamé”. Pick examples with wide leaps and unusual intervals.

This concludes Lesson 1. Take some time to work with the material and exercises presented here. In lesson 2 we’ll discover a way to determine what scale a chord symbol represents in a tune. Then we’ll go through all 7 or 8 notes of that scale and determine how each can be used to create voicings. There will be plenty of examples to try out too.

If you find this material valuable please consider making a small donation with the paypal button below:

Comments are closed