TUTORIAL: Learning Scales & Chords

I don't know what type of chords you already know, but I can show you lots of chords. The thing about chords is knowing where to use them and how you voice them. Some very simple chords can be really effective used in the right spot. This is an example of a nice chord:
Left hand: E, Bb
Right Hand: Eb, Ab, C
This is a rootless chord (C7#9b13)
Move it around in half steps...Have fun
 
I still can't quite understand this. I see that you are on and would like some direction in figuring out how to build/find chords within scales. 1-3-5 does not create anything in the key of natural minor/aeolian. I've been searching and trying to research all day but to avail.
 
Finding minor chords

Mac Loner said:
I still can't quite understand this. I see that you are on and would like some direction in figuring out how to build/find chords within scales. 1-3-5 does not create anything in the key of natural minor/aeolian. I've been searching and trying to research all day but to avail.
Click to expand...

If you are in a minor key or looking for minor chords, instead of 1-3-5 it would be 1-b3-5 (one-flat three-five). In C minor that would be C, Eb, and G. You would use the tones in the scale. For example the two chord in a natural minor scale would be diminished (1-b3-b5). In the key of C that would be D-F-Ab. P.S. the lower case (b) I'm using for the flat symbol. Hope this helps.
 
I got lost during the first section. where you stated "count backwards".. it doesn't make any sense to me. if you count backwards from A, how are G, C & F the sharps? i don't get it. can someone break this down for me??
 
so using the table as reference

01234567
MajorbCF
b		Bb
e		Eb
a		Ab
d		Db
g		Gb
c		Cb
f
#CG
f		D
c		A
g		E
d		B
a		F#
e		C#
b
MinorbA
D
b		G
e		C
a		F
d		Bb
g		Eb
c		Ab
f
#AE
f		B
c		F#
g		C#
d		G#
a		D#
e		A#
b

this table is a flattening of the circle of 5ths:

b'sNew note b'dKey sigKey sigNew Note #'d#'s
0C0
1bBbFGF#f1
2eBb-EbBbDF#-C#c2
3aBb-Eb-AbEbAF#-C#-G#g3
4dBb-Eb-Ab-DbAbEF#-C#-G#-D#d4
5gBb-Eb-Ab-Db-GbDbBF#-C#-G#-D#-A#a5
6cBb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-CbGb
F#		F#-C#-G#-D#-A#-E#e6
7fBb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Cb-FbC#CbF#-C#-G#-D#-A#-E#-B#b7
b'sKey sigKey sig#'s

as we move through the circle going either right or left the number of flats or sharps increases, with a new different note being sharpened or flattened as we progress. All notes previously sharpened or flattened remain as they were

The relationship of these notes to the scale is simple in either case.

As we move clockwise around the circle the last note before the naming note of the scale is sharpened from its previous state

e.g. moving from Db to Ab major the last note before Ab is G, it was Gb in Db major

Db-Eb-F-Gb-Ab-Bb-C-Db
Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab

e.g. moving from D major to A major the last note is G# it was G in D major

D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D
A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A

As we move counter-clockwise around the circle the 4th note in the new scale is flattened from its previous state

e.g. moving from C major to F major the fourth note is now Bb, it was B in C major

C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F

e.g. moving from B major to E major the fourth note is A, it was A# in B major

B-C#-D#-E-F#-G#-A#-B
E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E

e.g. moving from Eb major to Ab major the fourth note is Db, it was D in Eb major

Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C-D-Eb
Ab-B-C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab

Both versions are complex because they try to summarise a lot of information into as few symbols as possible.

The best way to actually understand this is to learn each scale on a keyboard or other instrument and understand how they change as a result

Second best way is to write each scale just using using note names and b's/#s as needed
 
I'm not sure to understand how you got to that point... :

5) And thats it, now we have the A major scale, it should look like this - A B C# D E F# G# A
 
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