Music Theory - Scale Tone Chords

'Scale Tone Chords' are chords that are made entirely from notes of one particular scale. These chords will fits naturally together to form a chord progression that will support the melody written from that scale. To further understand this concept, let's examine how chords are constructed.

Basic chords are constructed by combining at least three notes from a scale. The formula to create a major chord is by combining notes that are a third apart from each other. This can be considered as I - III - V.

Here's a C major scale:
*C major is always a good scale..:)*.

By using this formula, we can create a C major chord by combining the note C, E and G from the scale (the name of a chord is the same as the root or 'I' note). To test this theory, try forming a C chord on your guitar, and identify the notes that are available, you will always end up with just C, E and G.

The I - III - V formula can be apply to every notes of the C major scale above, and by doing so will create a 'Scale Tone Chord'.

Here's how it works:

As you can see, applying this formula to every note of the C major scale resulted in the creation of a set of chords that are common or most likely to be found in songs that start with C major.

If we take another scale and repeat the method above, we will always end up producing the following set of scale tone chords:

In a 'G major scale', these would be:

(G - Am - Bm - C - D - Em - F#dim - G)

Take some time to figure out what are the scale tone chords to some of the other major scale. The more you know what chords that are common in a particular key, the easier it is for you to figure out chords of your favorite songs. No Pain No Gain!..:)

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