Music Theory for Beginners

Chords:

Chords are the next step in theory. Chords are more than one note played together. To make a chord you play the first, third, and fifth note of the scale. For a C chord that would mean C, E, and G. At the end I will put all the major chords with their scales. There are many different chords. Major chords, minor chords, 7th chords, 6th chords, and many other different notes. It some are very complicated and others are very simple. For example to make a 7th chord you add the 7th note of the scale. A minor chord has a flatted 3rd. Things such as 6/9th chords and minor 7th flat 5 are much more complicated. One thing that is very useful about chords and scales is that with this knowledge you can more easily figure out the chords in a song. Songs generally have the 1st , 4th, and 5th chord in it. So if you figure out that the song has a C chord in it, then you can try to play an F and a G chord to see if the song is in the key of C. So this is why theory is important. It helps you find the key of songs. You can also use this knowledge to help improvise. You can play the C scale during a part of the song that’s in the key of C. With all these little bits of knowledge about theory you can improve your playing skills, your improvising skills, and you will be able to figure songs out quicker and easier.

Scales and Chords:

C

• Scale – C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
• Chord – C, E, G

C sharp/D flat

• Scale – C sharp, D sharp, F, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp, C, sharp
• Chord – C sharp, F, G sharp

D

• Scale – D, E, F sharp, G, A, B, C sharp, D
• Chord – D, F sharp, A

D sharp/ E flat

• Scale – D sharp, F, G, G sharp, A sharp, C, D, D sharp
• Chord – D sharp, G, A sharp

E

• Scale – E, F sharp, G sharp, A, B, C sharp, D sharp, E
• Chord – E, G sharp, B

F

• Scale – F, G, A, A sharp, C, D, E, F
• Chord – F, A, C

F sharp/G flat

• Scale – F sharp, G sharp, A sharp, B, C sharp, D sharp, F, F sharp
• Chord – F sharp, A sharp, C sharp

G

• Scale – G, A, B, C, D, E, F sharp, G
• Chord – G, B, D

G sharp/A flat

• Scale – G sharp, A sharp, C, C sharp, D sharp, F, G, G sharp
• Chord – G sharp, C, D sharp

A

• Scale – A, B, C sharp, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A
• Chord – A, C sharp, E

A sharp/B flat

• Scale – A sharp, C, D, D sharp, F, G, A, A sharp
• Chord – A sharp, D, F

B

• Scale – B, C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp, B
• Chord – B, D sharp, F sharp