G major song

D

DTermination

Member
i was listening to a song in the G major scale using chords

E minor

E, G, B

G Major

G, B, D

D Major

D, F#, A


But when it gets to the chorus it goes into

C Major

C, E, G

Then A major

A, C#, E



That C# is not originally in the G major scale but I know it can be used but why is this can some one explain so i can understand
 
what's the song?

I actually dont know the answer to your question.
But want to listen to the song so i can follow this thread to learn something too.
Cheers
 
you shouldnt let scales confine what chords and notes you can use.when you put those offtones in there (in the proper manner) itll add more "color" to your music.like all neo-soul songs break music theory resolution and progression rules.just keep practicin actually becoming a better pianist and you'll start to see the light. i got a video thats a good example of it, follow the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5UK53nM1IY
 
Last edited:
Louis_Avalon said:
like all neo-soul songs break music theory resolution and progression rules.
Click to expand...



"music theory" is not a "set of rules"... it is a language to analyze and explain music.

"Music theory" does not tell you *what to do*... it tells you *what you've done*
 
This is what you would call in music theory "Accidentals". A sharp raises the pitch of a note one semitone, while a flat lowers it a semitone(most of the time). Then a natural(white keys) is used to cancel the effect of a flat or sharp.
 
Louis_Avalon said:
you shouldnt let scales confine what chords and notes you can use.when you put those offtones in there (in the proper manner) itll add more "color" to your music.like all neo-soul songs break music theory resolution and progression rules.just keep practicin actually becoming a better pianist and you'll start to see the light. i got a video thats a good example of it, follow the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5UK53nM1IY
Click to expand...

Watched the video man sounds good I can actually play at a good level but jus wanted to understand the theory a lil bit i jus wanted to know why that C# was used when it isnt in that particular scale i noted

herses the song I was on about

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iu7iTFlX2M
 
DT, its common for songs to use at least one note thats outside of the home scale. It happens at very decisive moments and keeps the music interesting.

In this case I think the song trades the D note for the C# giving it a blues element when the scale becomes F#bluesb9.
 
I'm most recently getting myself acquianted w/ scales/chords and reading music. And G Major is one of my favorite scales to play on.

I know this doesn't help you in anyway... i just loved that whole scale lol.
 
It's actually pretty rare nowadays for a song to follow the main key exactly 100% throughout the song. If they all did, music would be boring as hell.. Every song would sound like Glycerine by Bush. 1 4 5 repeat blah blah boring. Chorus and bridge are usually a good place to use a key change or in this case it's really just a key modulation since it's one chord that breaks out of the home key signature.

Overall though, you will really make a lot more interesting songs if you get away from using only the pre-prescribed notes in the major scale you're working in. And you'll avoid sounding like a million other songs that use those same super basic chord progressions and have no accidentals. My favourite accidentals to use are flat 5s and sharp 6s in minor keys and flat 7s and sharp 5s in major keys. Those accidentals in particular add a lot of color to a basic triad chord without really losing the main tone of the chord.
 
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