July 1998: Introduction To Chords - Unit 1

A chord is nothing more than three or more notes played together or in sequence. More often than not the three notes are each a third apart forming what we call a TRIAD (e.g. C E G or F A C). Chords may be major, minor, diminished, augmented, etc. all of which can be very complicated. For now let us consider only those triads that we can build on each of the 7 notes of a simple scale.

Let's start with an F Major scale:

To do so on a lever harp you must have your B's tuned flat with the levers down - or if you play a pedal harp, the B pedal should be in the upper slot while the others are in the middle slots . The steps (or degrees) of the F scale are:

NOTE NAME:	F	G	A	Bb	C	D	E	(F)
STEP:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	1 (or 8)

The first step (F) is called the ROOT of the scale.

The last F is the root or 1st step again though we often refer to it as "8" or the octave.

When we play a piece of music built on the notes of an F scale we are in the KEY of F major. The F must also feel like the most resolved and final sound in the music which is called the TONAL CENTER.

On each step of a scale we can build a triad. Try them and see how they sound.

	C	D	E	F	G	A	Bb	C
	A	Bb	C	D	E	F	G	A
CHORD NAMES:	F	G	A	Bb	C	D	E	F
PRIMARY CHORDS:	I			IV	V
SECONDARY CHORDS:		ii	iii			vi

(read upward- for example: the I chord of the key of F major is F A C)

Using only scale notes the PRIMARY CHORDS (I-IV-V) are automatically major triads

and the SECONDARY CHORDS (ii iii-vi) are automatically minor triads. This is true of all similar chords built on the steps of any major scale. There is no chord built on the 7th stepbecause it is the "oddball" of the group. Listen to it. (It is a diminished chord)

Play the various chords and listen to see how they are alike and how they differ.

See you next month.

Stephanie

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