[gravitas]

Now that the chord buffs have all assembled ()

Before I get into my problem, let me first explain my situation: I've got chops. I also understand the concept of intervals. But for all the good they're doing me, I might as well have fingers of liquorice and a brain of paste, because I can't seem to create any kind of accurate image of my fretboard in my head.

See, I have a long attention span, but a short memory. I can spend hours zonked out with my guitar playing absolutely anything, but have no idea what it is, and I want to change that.

About two months ago, I decided that maybe I should start trying to learn chords and their relationship with the fretboard, and what I can see so far is this:


Chords are scalar (ie, they ascend like a major scale)

Simple chords can be altered between Maj and Min by altering the third

Chord scale can be applied anywhere as long as they are in key (ie, the "Music Building Lesson", which is an interesting (and considerably more effective) take on a concept I'd been subjected to and arduously forced to learn when I was in grade 7)

Each chord scale has three majors, three minors, and a diminished


The third one is the one that's got my feet tangled. I'm not even positive if it's correct. And if it is correct, how can one predict which chords are going to be major, minor, or diminished? Is there a constant that I could try to remember?

I'd greatly appretiate some insight on this matter; it would do my pasty, pasty brain a lot of good.

[allthumbs]

Man are you ever ready for Kirks Plane Talk materials. LOL
The way the chords work in a key is like this. The I,IV and V chords are major. The ii,iii and vi are minor. The VII is always diminished. Same in every key. Since you already know your intervals, you know what chords will be sharp or flat in any key.
P.T. will have you tracking all the intervals on the neck in any key and relate them to chords with very little memorization involved. It will save you a huge chunk of time trying to learn it another way.

[gravitas]

Well, that was easy. And I didn't even have to bother with bloody Staples or anything. All I can say that it's nice to finally know why a lot of the songs I've written sound as good as they do.

And yes, I really do need to get this plane talker thing soon. I'm going to put it on mail order from amazon this week.

[allthumbs]

I don't know if You can get it through Amazon. There is a link on this page that will take you to the order page. I strongly recommend that you get the book and DVD both. They really compliment each other.
http://www.thatllteachyou.com/home.html
Search this forum for relative minor as that will also help you understand chord substitutions. See you on the P.T. forum.

[gravitas]

You're right, it's not available from amazon.

I'm sure I'll pick up the DVD too, only... when I'm less poor, probably.

[Nem]

Originally Posted by allthumbs

The way the chords work in a key is like this. The I,IV and V chords are major. The ii,iii and vi are minor. The VII is always diminished.

...unless youre in a minor key

this is how and why you get major, minor, diminished chords:

take a major scale. Ill use C for this because my sharp key on the keyboard is sticky and on the verge of breaking

ok, so you have a C major scale: C D E F G A B C

examine the modes of that scale:
C Ionian ... C D E F G A B C
D Dorian ... D E F G A B C D
E Phyrgian ... E F G A B C D E
F Lydian ... F G A B C D E F
G Mixolydian ... G A B C D E F G
A Aeolian ... A B C D E F G A
B Locrian ... B C D E F G A B

take the first triad (I III V) from each mode:

C Ionian ... C E G
D Dorian ... D F A
E Phyrgian ... E G B
F Lydian ... F A C
G Mixolydian ... G B D
A Aeolian ... A C E
B Locrian ... B D F

now look at the chord that youve constructed using the triad from each mode
CEG - C major
DFA - D minor
EGB - E minor
FAC - F major
GBD - G major
ACE - A minor
BDF - B dim

thats the reason why some chords are major, some are minor and some are diminished

you can do exactly the same thing with a minor key, the pattern of major/minor chords will be different though which is why I said earlier that the I IV V arent always the major chords

hope that helps

[allthumbs]

Nem. I should have been clearer. The I,IV and V chord intervals are always major chords in all major keys.

[gravitas]

I appreciate your concern, but it's okay, I've figured that much out. My problem was really just in being able to play basic chord scales and defining which degree is a maj min or d chord. I mean, I don't know a terrible amount about modes anyway, so getting into chord modes would probably just make my head explode; though, I do know that there's not really such thing as a minor key- it's just a major scale starting on a different scale degree (the Aeloian one, to be exact). I know enough to adjust achordingly.