Topmusicanswers
- Do all chords have to be in the same scale?
- Can you play chords that aren't in the key?
- What chords fit in scales?
- Can chords be built on any note of the scale?
Do all chords have to be in the same scale?
In your average chord progression, most of the time all of the notes will stay in the scale that correlates with the key of your song. If the song is in G major, your chords will contain notes that are found in that scale- G major, C major, D major, E minor, A minor, B minor.
Can you play chords that aren't in the key?
The short answer is: yes, and no. The best way to add non-diatonic chords to a chord progression is by using a common note from the diatonic chord into the non-diatonic chord, which smoothes an otherwise abrupt change.
What chords fit in scales?
Here's the main concept: the chords associated with a scale are the ones whose notes are all contained into the scale. For instance the C major chord is C, E, G, and all these notes are in the C major scale. To make an example of a chord NOT in the scale, let's consider the D major chord: its notes are D, F#, A.
Can chords be built on any note of the scale?
The degrees of a scale are useful for indicating the quality of an interval and which chords belong to a given scale or key signature. A major chord is built from a root note, a major third and a perfect fifth. If a chord is built from these particular intervals it is called a major triad in music.
