Cadence rules… What chords sound good after another?

So know you know how chords are formed. You also know how chords are modified to fit diatonicly within a giving key. Now you might want to know the next step to creating your own chord progressions…Well then you should know about cadence rules.

Cadences rules are basically a guideline as to what chords should good after another. Remember though this is just a guideline. My motto is if it sound good well that’s all that matters.

So let get on with it…keeping it simple in the key of C.

I ii iii IV V vi vii

C Dm Em F G Am Bm

Ok  say your on a chord where can you go next…

I chord can go to any

ii chord can go to any except I

iii chord can go to any except I or vii

IV chord can go to any

V chord can go to any except ii and vii

vi chord can go to any except I and vii

vii chord can go to any except ii and IV

Pretty short one today… untill next time

peace

-Mike

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How are chord progressions formed?…Harmonizing a scale

So now you know how to build basic Triads, you might ask how do we build chord progressions. It really is just as simple.

First you need to decided what key you want the progression to be in. What parent scale you uses depends on what key you decided to choice.

Diatonic– Means basically to stay with in the bounds of a parent scale. So if your playing in the key of C the only notes that are diatonic are C,D,E,F,G,A and B.

To keep things simple lets build a progression in the key of C.

When learning how to build major triads we took the Root, the 3rd and the 5th. We practice the same thing here, only when building progressions we use the same parent scale for every chord to stay diatonic to the key. This process is called harmonizing the scale.

Here is the C major scale…

-The first chord we take the Root, 3rd, and the 5th

C D    E F    G A    B

We are left with a C major C, E, G. We call this the I chord

-Next we build the II chord…same process only we are starting with the D.

C D E F G A B

II chord= D minor D,F,A

-III chord…same thing again starting with the E.

C    D E F G A B

II chord= E minor E,G,B

-IV chord

C D    E F G A B

III chord= F major F,A,C

-V chord

C    D E    F    G A    B

V chord= G major G,B,D

See its not that hard… Two more left.

-VI chord

C D E F    G A B

VI chord= A minor A,C,E

-VII chord

C    D E    F G    A     B

VII chord= B major B,D,F

So to play diatonicly in the Key of C we use the following chords

I= C major C, E, G

ii=D minor D,F,A

iii=E minor E,G,B

IV=F major F,A,C

V=G major G,B,D

vi=A minor A,C,E

vii=B major B,D,F

Notice im using lower case roman numerals now, for minor chords. This is a common notation to show a minor chord when talking about chord progressions.

This same process is used for all major keys. The outcome is always I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii

Try it in another key.

Coming soon Haromonising the minor scale and 7th chord harmony

How chords are made…Stacking 3rd’s

Want to know how chords are made? Well then this lesson on stacking 3rds might answer your questions.

Basic chords are called Triads.  A major triad is created when you take the Root the 3rd and the 5th intervals of a scale.

So to create a C major Triad we must first look at the C major scale.

C Major scale= C D E F G A B

We then take the ROOT which is a C

Next we take the 3rd, which is the 3rd note of the scale, in this case an E.

Finally we take the 5th note of the scale, which is a G

Play all three notes at the same time and you get a C major Triad.

Now lets do a G major triad. We will use the G major scale this time.

G Major scale= G A B C D E F#

We then take the ROOT which is a G

Next we take the 3rd, which is the 3rd note of the scale, in this case an B.

Finally we take the 5th note of the scale, which is a D

Play all three notes at the same time and you get a G major Triad.

Simple…

But how are minor chords formed? Well that is just as simple.

With a major triad we used the Root, the 3rd and the 5th. The only difference with a minor triad is, we use a flat 3rd.

So you just take your 3rd note and drop it by a half step.

So our C major triad C,E,G                                  becomes C,Eb,G

A G major triad G,B,D                                           becomes G, Bb,D

That wasnt so hard was it?