A Guide to Understand Chords and Scales on Guitar
A Guide to Understanding Chords and Scales on the Guitar
Tips How To Memorize All Chords
Let's start with what we call the "triad." The triad consists of three notes, taken from the seven notes in a scale. The "triad" consists of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th (I, II, V) notes in a scale. For example, the C chord is a triad consisting of the notes C, E, and G.
Because the C scale consists of the seven notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B (or Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti), taking the 1-3-5 notes gives us C, E, G. That's the C major chord.
The C minor chord is also a triad, but the scale is C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B. So, the notes in the C minor chord are C, Eb, and G.
How do you figure out these notes? Here's how: The standard tuning of the guitar is (from the lowest) open E, A, D, G, B, e. When you press a fret upwards, it sharpens the note (denoted by the symbol #, not the number sign). The basic rule: all notes have # except for E and B. Meaning, starting from open E and pressing each fret, you get E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, then back to E but higher, which is also called an octave higher. Flats are indicated by a lowercase letter b. They go downwards. For example, starting from e, you get e, Eb, D, Db, C, B, Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, F, E. The basic rule of flats: all have flats except for C and F. Memorize these to know all the notes on the fretboard.
Then, continue exploring the topic of triads or the 1-3-5 (I-II-V). Here are the scales: (I started with C major so there are no sharps or flats)
C Major scale: CDEFGAB (no sharp, no flat)
C minor scale: CDEbFGAB (b 3rd)
D Major scale: DEF#GABC# (2 #s)
D minor scale: DEFGABbC (1 b)
E Major scale: EF#G#ABC#D# (4#s)
E minor scale: EF#GABCD (1#s)
F Major scale: FGABbCDE (1b)
F minor scale: FGAbBbCDE (2b)
G Major scale: GABCDEF# (1#)
G minor scale: GABbCDEbF (2bs)
A Major scale: ABC#DEF#G# (3#s)
A minor scale: ABCDEFG (no sharp, no flat)
B Major scale: BC#D#EF#G#A# (5#s)
B minor scale: BC#DEF#GA (2#s)
In a chord family, there are seven chords (basically speaking). Capital letters represent Major, and lowercase letters represent minor chords:
(I ii iii IV vi vii)
C Major chord family: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Amin, Bdim
D Major chord family: D, Emin, F#min, G, A, Bmin, C#dim
E Major chord family: E, F#min, G#min, A, B, C#min, D#dim
F Major chord family: F, Gmin, Amin, Bb, C, Dmin, Edim
G Major chord family: G, Amin, Bmin, C, D, Emin, F#dim
A Major chord family: A, Bmin, C#min, D, E, F#min, G#dim
B Major chord family: B, C#min, D#min, E, F#, G#min, A#dim
I didn't include keys with sharps or flats for easier understanding (hopefully).
Side note: The diminished chord is not a triad. It consists of four notes or a cluster chord. The diminished chord is a minor seven flat five. Example: B diminished notes are B, D, F, A - it's also called half diminished. The full diminished chord is a minor six flat five. Example: B diminished notes are B, D, F, G# (that's deeper stuff).
It turned out a bit lengthy. Please write it down on paper to remember it, if it helps even a bit. Thank you, and keep playing the guitar!
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