How are chords assigned for song notes in a bar?

1. What determines the notes in a chord?
2. How do you know what chords go with a melody?

What determines the notes in a chord?

A chord is two or more different notes played simultaneously. Most chords have three notes though. Chords derive their names from the root note; so a C chord has C for its root note and a G7 chord will have G. The interval between the root note and the third determines whether a chord is a major or minor.

How do you know what chords go with a melody?

Finding chords for your melody, steps to follow:

1. Try to transpose the melody to a scale you know well.
2. Try to find your bass notes first.
3. Start with the root note (of the scale).
4. Many progressions start or end with the root note (tonic).
5. After finding a fitting bass progression, build chords on it.