Forming Chords From a Scale

This is an important lesson, as many beginning guitarists have no clue how chords are formed, and I believe it’s a very important aspect of guitar playing. So, don’t skip this lesson, although it’s a theoretical one and I know you are anxious to learn fast soloing licks. Well, you will do that, but take it one step at a time. Read this carefully, as having a solid theoretical foundation is often underestimated. Here we go.

First of all, what is a chord? A chord is simply 3 notes played together. Well, at least 3 notes, I meant. You can also have 4-notes or even more notes chords.

As you should already know by now, the C Major scale has the following notes:

C D E F G A B C

It is the only major scale that has no flats or sharps, you should always keep that in mind. So, let’s build the chords from the C Major scale. The way to do this is simple. We start from each note of the scale, adding every other note to the root, until we get a basic 3-notes chord. So, what do we get?

Starting from C : C + E + G = C Major chord

Starting from D : D + F + A = D minor chord

Starting from E : E + G + B = E minor chord

Starting from F : F + A + C = F Major chord

Starting from G : B + B + D = G Major chord

Starting from A : A + C + E = A minor chord

Starting from B : B + D + F = B diminished chord

The nature of the chord, major or minor that is, is given by the number of semitones the first and second notes are apart. If the first and second notes of the chords are 4 semitones apart, the chord is major. If they are 3 semitones apart, the chord is minor.

The A Minor Pentatonic Scale

The A minor pentatonic scale is the simplest of all scales. Don't imagine though that it has only a few uses. As a matter of fact, it is encountered in all styles of guitar playing, from blues to jazz. It needs to be learnt as soon as possible, as the pentatonic scale is a must in every guitar player's vocabulary. Here are the 5 basic shapes of the A minor pentatonic scale:

The C Major Scale

The C major scale is called the mother of all scales. And for a good reason, too. It is the most basic of all scales, and needs to be well known by any aspiring guitar player. When you play it, try to do it slowly at first, because you can't play fast if you can't play slow first. So make sure you play all the notes clearly and in tempo. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: metronome is essential! So here are all the 7 positions of the C major scale:

Guitar scales

Well, you have all heard of the term “scale”. But what exactly is a scale and how are guitar scales formed? You know, in my development as a guitar player, I often stumbled upon these important notions without really knowing what they actually are. This is one major goal of this site, to explain the basic notions and free the developing guitarists from these weak points as to be able to release the creativity.

The scales are, put simply, a succession of notes, which are determined by a formula. Every song is based upon a certain scale, or even more than just one. There are infinite possibilities of available scales, but the mother of all scales will always be the major scale. Every scale is based upon the intervallic relationships between its notes. The major scale has the following formula :

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

W W H W W W H

What do those weird symbols mean? The numbers represent the steps of the scale, whilst W means whole step and H, half step.

So, keeping in mind these facts, let’s construct the C Major Scale:

We start from the root of the scale, which is C.
We go one step further ( 2 semitones ), and we get the D note.
We go another whole step further, and we get the E.
We go a half step further ( 1 semitone ) and we get the F.
We go another whole step, where we find the G.
We go another whole step, and we stumble upon the A.
We go a whole step once more, and yes, you got it: the B
Finally, we go a half step, where we find the C, which is one octave higher than the first C.

Now, another important scale you have all heard about is the minor scale. There are actually 3 types of minor scales, but the general term refers to the natural minor scale. Besides the natural minor, there are also the harmonic minor scale and the melodic minor scale. To check those two out, please go to the scales section. Now, let’s focus on the natural minor scale, which has the following formula:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

W H W W H W W

As you can see, in the natural minor scale, the semitones are found between the 2^nd and 3^rd notes of the scale, as well as between the 5^th and the 6^th notes of the scale. Given this fact, let’s construct the A natural minor scale, following the same procedure as with the C Major. The result will be:

A B C D E F G A

What does this scale have in common with the C Major? Well, quite simply, the notes! That’s also the reason why it’s called the relative minor of the C Major scale. It is the only minor scale with no flats or sharps! As you probably have already guessed, every major scale has its relative minor scale. To find it, simply go 3 semitones down from the root of the major scale whose relative minor you want to find. When I realized these simple facts, I found myself asking two simple questions, that nobody seemed to concretely answer:

1) Ok, then what’s the difference between a major scale and its relative minor? In our case, the C Major and the A minor scales.

2) How can the fact that they have the same notes help me?

I will answer these questions now, in a very understandable way, as for you not to go through the frustrations that I did. For the first questions, the answer is the harmonic context. You see, the intervallic relationships between the notes of a scale determines the way the scale sounds and what chords can be formed from it. So, in a minor sounding song, the atmosphere will most likely be nostalgic, or melancholic, it’s very well suited for ballads. In a major scale song, the effect will be quite the opposite. For further understanding, please go to the section called Forming chords from a scale.

As for the second question, the answer is: hey, if they have the same notes, than it means they have the same patterns. Yes, if you learn the 7 patterns of the major scale, then you have already learnt the minor scale! For example, on the site you can find the 7 patterns for C Major scale. As a matter of fact, by learning those, you also learn its relative minor scale, which is, of course, A minor. This applies for every major scale and its relative minor.

Hello everyone

This place is designed for guitar enthusiasts all over the world. The guitar is an instrument that stirs a lot of passions. I still remember my fascination when I managed to play the first 2 chord song many, many years ago. Although time has passed, the love is the same. The majority of you who are reading this know what I'm talking about.

So, I am looking forward to meeting you. you can be a pro, you can be beginner, it doesn't really matter. Just share. I will post a lot of guitar lessons, tips and tricks, even secrets, because I have considerable guitar teaching experience. So, enjoy!