Major scales and chords rule of thumb guide

[Vojtech]

Today I found out:

If you write the major scale in columns on paper using two lines

C_D_EF
G_A_BC

you can go forever

C_D_EF
G_A_BC
D_E_F#G
A_B_C#D
E_F#_G#A
B_C#_D#E
….

Now this can be used for couple things:
If you start on any line, you can read major scale for that chord. D – DEF#GABC
In first column, you can see the “circle of fifths” (C, G, D, A, …)
If you think chords, first and fourth column will be always major for given scale (C – CFG are major) and second and third will be minor (C – Dm, Em, Am, Bm* – Bm* is actually flat third and flat fifth (vii diminished), but this is used so rarely you can get away without it and needlessly complicates this simple rule of thumb)

Writing out these scales is like doing an anti-stress colouring book 🙂

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[sunjamr]

And it’s easy to memorize. In fact, I’ve already memorized it just while typing this!

Sunjamr Steve

[Duffy P]

A couple of things on this.

First, on the line beginning with F#, it would be helpful to write the notes in two ways: F#/Gb, G#/Ab etc…
Then on the next line, begin writing only flats, Db Eb F Gb. This puts the keys in the way that people use them, and eliminates the nastiness of double sharps.

Second, if you read up a column, you will find the cycling of fourths that is very common in Standard tunes. For example suppose you have a vi ii V I progression, and it starts on an e minor chord. Read up the first column from E, and you have EADG, Eminor Aminor D7 and G. Just another way that you might want to use this.

[ChordGuy]

My poor overlooked friend, the diminished chord. If you consider it a minor chord it still works with your pattern.
It has a minor third so it can be considered a type of minor, Bminb5 (B minor flat 5).

Diminished chords are very common and you use them more than you think.

Gordo

[Author]

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