Building guitar chords - using the major scale

Once you know the names of your notes within a Major scale you can start using those notes to build chords. Using a Root (1st  or starting note) 3rd (3rd note in the major scale sequence) and a 5th (5th note in the major scale sequence) you can start finding chords that work in harmony with you scale since the chords a built right from that scale. Root Third Fifth or R 3 5 is your formula for building Major, minor and diminished chords. 

In this video:

1) take a C major scale C D E F G A B C 

2) find the R 3 5 (C E G) 1st note, 3rd note and 5th note

3) Use those 3 notes across the guitar to build an form any  C chord.

Each major scale has 7 notes so you can build  7 basic chords from each note

C E G (Major)

D F A (minor)

E G B (minor)

F A C (Major)

G B D (Major)

A C E (minor)

B D F (diminished)

What you will find is that EVERY major scale has the same order of chords

Major, minor, minor, Major, Major, minor,diminished or simply M m m M M m dim

Enjoy. Learn. Share. 

@nathanfleet

Building a Major scale on the guitar

Build a Major Scale, on any note, without knowing key signatures. If you follow the simple formula Tone Tone Semitone Tone Tone Tone Semitone, you can easily play any major scale. @nathanfleet


T T S T T T S

Learning the Notes on the guitar Part 2: Using the Guitar

This is for all beginner musicians. Learning theory is amazing but not everyone wants to commit the time, or they believe that it will take away from their creativity. This lesson is not about theory. It is just about learning the note names. By learning this you can discover things on your own. Exploration and discovery are so rewarding so if you aren't into theory, you definitely want to study this. If you are into theory this will kickstart your mind a bit. 

The most important things you can learn on the guitar, aside from technique, are the names of the notes. This is not music theory, simply naming the notes on all frets and strings. Once you know the names of your notes you can figure out what you are playing and apply that to other positions on the guitar. Many guitarists learn "box" scales (scales that stay within a four fret section on the guitar) and they want to move that scale around. By learning the note names you will be able to discover new patterns. If you only know a few chords you can figure out what notes make up that chord, then build your own shapes that you don't often see in beginner chord books. If you want to solo over a chord progression you can use chord tones. Knowing the notes used in those chord will help you find those notes that will always sound great since they belong to the chord. Same goes with writing vocal lines, harmonies, bass lines etc...the list goes on. All without having to learn theory. @nathanfleet Enjoy. Learn. Share.

I Made it Through - recorded by Park Row

Blue Pick Media's free track of the month under the Creative Commons license ©© I Made it Through. Use. Enjoy. Listen. Share.