Scales: Ways to Know a Scale: Chords

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You are going to discover and rediscover that scales and chords are inseparably and intimately inter-related…

Knowing your chords helps you know your scales and knowing your scales helps you know your chords. Seeing these reciprocal melodic-harmonic relationships greatly facilitates reading, memorization, playing by ear, transposition, and improvisation.

Given a key center and scale type (major, minor, etc.), you should be able to name each chord by its Roman Numeral name and letter name and type (major, minor, diminished). You should also know the letter names and Solfege syllable for the notes in each chord.

Diatonic Triads in the Bb Major Scale…

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Diatonic Seventh Chord in the Bb Major Scale…

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Study-Practice Idea: Play each chord as an arpeggio. As you play, say the chord name, and sing the letter name and sound name of each note out loud. Do this going either up or down the scale.

learn more… Ways to Know a Scale: Modes