What's up everybody?
To start with, I'm a novice at music theory. I've played by ear for the longest but find myself playing the same notes / scales over and over again and it's killing my creativity.
I understand how to construct a chord from the root note of a scale, (C Major Scale, I Major chord would be C-E-G) but where do you go from there in building a progression? If you're in a major scale, do all your chords have to be major? I'm super lost. Lol.
Thanks guys!
- J
I think the most important thing to understand about theory, is that it's just a method that allows you to verbalize what you hear in a language others can understand.
So personally, I wouldn't sweat it too much, don't get caught up with "conforming" to the rules. That's not what it's all about. You express yourself in whatever way feels right & sounds right to you. But if you want to explain what you're doing, then that's where "theory" comes in.
So you know how to build the chords of the major scale? I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii dim & understand why a chord is major, then minor, then diminished?
So you know about intervals & a major chord consists of a major third & a perfect fifth. A minor chord is a minor third & a perfect fifth. A diminished chord is a minor third & a diminished fifth.
So to answer your question, no. If you're in a major scale, you don't play all major chords. C, G, Am, C, G, Em is a chord
progression in C major.
As a general rule, you only want to use the notes from your scale, so if we're in C major, you should only use C, D, E, F, G, A, & B. So your A chord would be made up of A, C, E...... A to C is a minor third. A to E is a perfect fifth... A, C, E is Aminor. A, C#, E would be A major
Same thing with E, G, B...... E minor. E to G is a minor third, E to B is a perfect fifth.
Going back to what I said in the beginning. Theory is just how we verbalize what we hear. Listen to "When I was your man" by Bruno Mars. Google "chords when I was your man" he modulates between keys, "breaking" the "rules" I just told you about.....
That's because what sounds right, sounds right. It is right. We just need a way to talk about it.
---------- Post added at 07:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:42 PM ----------
PS, if you'd like to know more, google "Music Theory"
The truth is out there.