Chords in a key for beginners

[nuffink]

Dear KVRers...

This has got to be the most stupid question of the century, but please bear with me. I am new to music theory and I need some advise (help), etc...

I am using Cubase SX3 and some other sequencers, etc.

Now, this is the problem:

I am writing a song in the key of G Major. All ok here.

Say, for example, I create 4 measures and a chord progression here. From G Major I can correctly have the following (I think?):

Measures:

1 Em
2
3 C
4 Em

All fine here (I think). Now the problem:

A) Taking into account the whole song is in G Major, what "correct" single notes can I have in the first measure (being that the first measure is Em chord)? How do I know which "correct" notes I have available? I don't know if I'm making sense here. I am trying to make a lead melody, but am all confused about how notes in the first measure map to the Em chord (and G Major key?) If someone explains the techinque or principle, I'll figure the rest of the measures out.

B) Is there some program, etc. you guys know of which tells me scales, chords, etc.? Something like: Select Key --> Program shows scale and correct chords for that key. Select Chords --> Program shows "correct" notes?

C) I've tried The Palette, but it's still too difficult for me and the tutorial on it is WAY too complicated... any know of a layman's tutorial for The Palette?

Thanks!

Any input greatly appreciated.

Mike

Some confusion here.

In G major the potential (diatonic) chords available are Gmaj, Amin, Bmin, Cmaj, Dmaj, Emin and F#dim
Your progression is therefore vi - IV - vi. Not wrong but hardly common. Try Gmaj - Emin - Amin - Dmaj this will definitely sound like Gmajor.
The notes available to play over the chords (assuming you don't want to play out) are the same as the roots of the available chords i.e. G, A, B, C, D, E and F#

As for your question about software - Click my sig and you'll find a couple of useful VSTi's, one free the other cheap.

[JumpingJackFlash]

A) Taking into account the whole song is in G Major, what "correct" single notes can I have in the first measure (being that the first measure is Em chord)? How do I know which "correct" notes I have available? I don't know if I'm making sense here. I am trying to make a lead melody, but am all confused about how notes in the first measure map to the Em chord (and G Major key?) If someone explains the techinque or principle, I'll figure the rest of the measures out.

For now, I advise sticking mainly to the notes of the triad. - Information on what notes form what triads can be found in my introduction to music theory.

Generally, when putting notes to a chord, the chord is the most important thing, not the overall key. (The chord will generally be a triad from within the key, but not always).

So, with an E minor chord, the basic triad is E-G-B. That means, you can use any of those 3 notes in the melody at that point. You can also embellish the melody by using non-harmony notes in-between these notes, but don't worry too much about those for now.

In a C chord, the basic triad is C-E-G, so you use any of those notes in the melody at that point.

A list of the notes for each key can be found here. - The triad is comprised of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of each scale.

In a major key, a triad built on the 1st, 4th or 5th notes is always major. A triad built on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th notes is always minor. A triad built on the 7th note is always diminished - and this should be used with care.

[nuffink]

A) Taking into account the whole song is in G Major, what "correct" single notes can I have in the first measure (being that the first measure is Em chord)? How do I know which "correct" notes I have available? I don't know if I'm making sense here. I am trying to make a lead melody, but am all confused about how notes in the first measure map to the Em chord (and G Major key?) If someone explains the techinque or principle, I'll figure the rest of the measures out.

For now, I advise sticking mainly to the notes of the triad. - Information on what notes form what triads can be found in my introduction to music theory.

Generally, when putting notes to a chord, the chord is the most important thing, not the overall key. (The chord will generally be a triad from within the key, but not always).

So, with an E minor chord, the basic triad is E-G-B. That means, you can use any of those 3 notes in the melody at that point. You can also embellish the melody by using non-harmony notes in-between these notes, but don't worry too much about those for now.

In a C chord, the basic triad is C-E-G, so you use any of those notes in the melody at that point.

A list of the notes for each key can be found here. - The triad is comprised of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of each scale.

In a major key, a triad built on the 1st, 4th or 5th notes is always major. A triad built on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th notes is always minor. A triad built on the 7th note is always diminished - and this should be used with care.

I must have misread this. You can't seriously be suggesting he sticks to playing the notes of the chord over the chord. Surely?

[Sascha Franck]

I must have misread this. You can't seriously be suggesting he sticks to playing the notes of the chord over the chord. Surely?

I was really wondering about that as well.
I mean, in these days of rather monotonous backings, you almost need to play other notes as well, even in case you're a starter.

However, here's the basic idea:
- Record a one chord vamp. Start with major, if you want.
- Play all notes of the major scale against it slowly.
- Listen to all of them closely.
- Rememeber the "sweet" ones.
- Remember the less sweet ones. Over a major chord, using a major scale, you will probably find out that the 4th note of the scale won't fit too well.
- Proceed with minor chords. Treat them as parallel minor (so use notes from C major over an Amin chord). Also try to treat them as the second degree of a major scale (so use notes from G major over your Amin). Watch out for the differences.
- Proceed with dominant 7 chords. Use the major scale a fouth up on them (so, for an F7, use the Bb major scale).

This won't help you too much with chord progressions, but it will give you a good idea of what to use on "target" chords (as these three are the main target chords you may find). And, very often, melodic ideas that will work for your target chords will as well work for preceeding chords (unless you deal with heavy modulations or jazz).

[Molasar]

The notes available to play over the chords (assuming you don't want to play out) are the same as the roots of the available chords i.e. G, A, B, C, D, E and F#

Ok, ok... you mean to say I have G, A, B, C, D, E and F# available at any measure, no matter what the chord? If so, what's the measure's chord for then?

If not, then... I have the E scale notes available at the Em chord?

I'm mixed up now...

[nuffink]

The notes available to play over the chords (assuming you don't want to play out) are the same as the roots of the available chords i.e. G, A, B, C, D, E and F#

Ok, ok... you mean to say I have G, A, B, C, D, E and F# available at any measure, no matter what the chord? If so, what's the measure's chord for then?

Yeah, sure. That's what diatonic harmony is all about. The chords and the melody you play over them are all taken from the same pool of seven notes that make up the key.

[Molasar]

Hmmm....

So what's a chord progression for?

That is... I'm sure the chords affect, say, basslines, but not so with the melody? Let me try to explain myself...

If I'm trying to make a trance song, electro or whatever, I could play a bassline of just E's on the 1st and 2nd measure, C's on the third and E's again on the fourth, but play any of the seven notes on all measures and get something "listenable"?

[quincy]

Hmmm....

So what's a chord progression for?

That is... I'm sure the chords affect, say, basslines, but not so with the melody? Let me try to explain myself...

If I'm trying to make a trance song, electro or whatever, I could play a bassline of just E's on the 1st and 2nd measure, C's on the third and E's again on the fourth, but play any of the seven notes on all measures and get something "listenable"?

This is exactly the sort of place i'm at, the theory is slowly beginning to "click" but its application to anything that sonds half decent is proving quite tough! I trust that the good folks of KVR will help guide the way though

[nuffink]

Hmmm....

So what's a chord progression for?

That is... I'm sure the chords affect, say, basslines, but not so with the melody? Let me try to explain myself...

If I'm trying to make a trance song, electro or whatever, I could play a bassline of just E's on the 1st and 2nd measure, C's on the third and E's again on the fourth, but play any of the seven notes on all measures and get something "listenable"?

Well, leaving aside the question of whether trance can be said to be listenable, yes you can. But as I said before the bassline you chose is hardly representative of G major.

[Sascha Franck]

Proper "note choice" is hardly ever covered by theory.
Theory is covering a bit of "forbidden" notes and that's mostly all to find.

Proper melody writing, be it with a lot of tinkering or "on sight" (some people call that improvisation) is a mixture of knowledge and experience. The latter being the most important part.
A certain set of instrumental skills certainly helps, as you may have learned some patterns and whatever already.

Others than that, just experiment.

[JumpingJackFlash]

I must have misread this. You can't seriously be suggesting he sticks to playing the notes of the chord over the chord. Surely?

Well, I was trying to keep things as simple as possible to start with, but yes, obviously real music doesn't work this way, and you'd end up with a boring melody, but for a beginner, I think the theory is sound.

Once he has the hang of playing the notes of the chord (which shouldn't take too long), he can then experiment with other notes.

I realise that in jazz the chord lends itself to a whole scale/mode to improvise over, but I would leave that until he is more familiar with the basic diatonic stuff.

For example, playing an F# in a C major chord, regardless of key, is likely to sound bad. - This might not be case if it's used very fleetingly, but I personally recommend the beginner doesn't do this.

In diatonic harmony, the notes of the chord always form the basis of the parts. Once this is understood, then you can move onto using other notes to add decoration or whatever.

[Molasar]

Thanks!

Got it...

A necessary question now: How do you know what chords are representative of a given key?

[nuffink]

I must have misread this. You can't seriously be suggesting he sticks to playing the notes of the chord over the chord. Surely?

Well, I was trying to keep things as simple as possible to start with, but yes, obviously real music doesn't work this way, and you'd end up with a boring melody, but for a beginner, I think the theory is sound.

Once he has the hang of playing the notes of the chord (which shouldn't take too long), he can then experiment with other notes.

I realise that in jazz the chord lends itself to a whole scale/mode to improvise over, but I would leave that until he is more familiar with the basic diatonic stuff.

For example, playing an F# in a C major chord, regardless of key, is likely to sound bad. - This might not be case if it's used very fleetingly, but I personally recommend the beginner doesn't do this.

In diatonic harmony, the notes of the chord always form the basis of the parts. Once this is understood, then you can move onto using other notes to add decoration or whatever.

Oh, come on. I can just about accept theory being dumbed down to only playing the notes of the key but only chord notes? You might as well not bother with theory at all and stick to twinkle, twinkle little star.

[JumpingJackFlash]

Oh, come on. I can just about accept theory being dumbed down to only playing the notes of the key but only chord notes? You might as well not bother with theory at all and stick to twinkle, twinkle little star.

Quite so. Remember these people are starting from scratch in many cases, it's no use running before you can walk, you need to start with the absolute basic fundamentals and progress from there. I'm sure when you started out, you probably played Twinkle Twinkle a bit too!

A necessary question now: How do you know what chords are representative of a given key?

As I said before, in a major key, chords based on the 1st, 4th and 5th notes are major. Chords based on the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes are minor, and chords based on the 7th note is diminished.

So; write out the notes of the key you are using. - Let's pick A major for example. The notes of A major are:

Code: Select all

A B C# D E F# G# A
1 2 3  4 5 6  7  8

The 1st, 4th and 5th notes are A, D and E respectively. That means in A major, you can have A major, D major and E major chords.
The 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes are B, C# and F# respectively. That means in A major, you can have B minor, C# minor and F# minor chords.
The 7th note is G#, which means in A major, you can have G# diminished chord.

Minor keys are more complex.

[Molasar]

So...

If in a Major key... it's wise to stick to Major chords? But you said:

"Try Gmaj - Emin - Amin - Dmaj this will definitely sound like Gmajor."

How did you come up with that selection?