Music Theory - Scale and Chord Theory
Content
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Scale Theory Part I – Mapping Out The Basics
Scales are simply are a series of notes set to a particular pattern. This sheet will map out all of the
major scales in a simple and easy to use format then move on to the minor scales.
First we need to define what semi‐tones and whole‐tones are. For a guitarist the simplest way to
explain a semi‐tone is when we move from one fret up (or down) to the next fret, moving from C up
to C# is a semi‐tone. A whole tone is when we move up (or down) two frets, so from C up to D.
The major scale is 8 notes (technically there are 7 different notes and the 8th note is the same as the
first so we will call it 1/8) that follow a pattern of semi and whole tones: whole‐tone, whole‐tone,
semi‐tone, whole‐tone, whole‐tone, whole‐tone, semi‐tone.
Below I have written out all the notes (in bold moving up in semitones) starting on C. Underneath
that I have written out the C major scale so you can clearly see the pattern of whole and semi tones.
We start with C because it does not have any sharps of flats in it. Underneath that is the degree of the
scale, that is the number that note has in the C major scale.
C
C
1st
C#/Db
D
D
2nd
D#/Eb
E
E
3rd
F
F
4th
F#/Gb
G
G
5th
G#/Ab
A
A
6th
A#/Bb
B
B
7th
C
C
1st/8th
Remember moving up two frets is called a whole‐tone, moving up one fret is called a semi‐tone. After
the C (1st/8th ) the pattern repeats D (9th), E (10th), F (11th) , G (12th) etc. Also notice that the scale
moves up through the notes in alphabetical order C, D, E, F etc.
Now to figure out all the other major scales we just have to simply follow the pattern. But before we
do that we have to understand a few simple concepts.
Simple scales like the major and minor scales like to use either all sharps (#) or all flats (b), they also
like to use each letter once rather than repeat the same letter (e.g F & F#). Below are all the scales
that use sharps (including C major).
C
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
C#/Db
D
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
D#/Eb
E
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
F
F
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
F#/Gb
G
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
G#/Ab
A
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
A#/Bb
B
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
B#
C
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
There are a few things you need to notice in the table. Firstly we add a new sharp with each scale, e.g
G major has one sharp (F#), D major has two sharps (F#, C#) and A major has three sharps (F#, C#,
G#). Once a note has been made sharp is remains so for the rest of the scales in the table. Also notice
that the new sharp is added to the scale is at the 7th note, e.g G major – F# (7th), D major –C# (7th), A
mojor – G# (7th). Finally the last two scales (F# & C#) are interesting due to the use of E# and B#. For
the E# we technically play an F there but because scales try to avoid repeating letters we call it E#.
The B# is technically a C but to maintain using different letters in the scale we call it B#.
One final thing to notice is that the first note of each scale is the same as the fifth note of the previous
scale e.g G is the 5th of C major, D is the 5th note of G major etc. This is called the circle of 5ths , it sets
the order of the scales that have sharps.
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Now we can move on to the scales that use flats. The only difference is we will use the 4th note to find
out what the 1st note of the next scale is e.g C majors 4th note is F, setting the next scale as F major.
This is called the circle of 4ths.
C
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
C#/Db
D
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
D#/Eb
E
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
F
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
Fb
F#/Gb
G
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
G#/Ab
A
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
A#/Bb
B
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
C
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
As you can see flats work a little differently to sharps. First off the new flat added to each scale is the
4th note (which also sets the next scale) e.g F major ‐ Bb (4th), B major – Eb (4th) etc. The Gb & Cb major
scales feature a Cb & Fb for the same reason as the E# in F# major. Each scale wants to use different
letters rather then have two different types of B’s or E’s.
We can sum up our circle of 5ths and our circle of 4ths to the following:
From C Major Scale
Circle of 5ths
G
F#
D
F#, G#
A
F#, G#, C#
E
F#, G#, C#, D#
B
F#, G#, C#, D#, A#
F#
F#, G#, C#, D#, A#, E#
C#
F#, G#, C#, D#, A#, E#, B#
Cirlce of 4ths
F
Bb
Bb
Bb, Eb
Eb
Bb, Eb, Ab
Ab
Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
Db
Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb
Gb
Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb
Cb
Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb
Below is the circle of 5th’s and the circle of 4th’s represented in its most common form – a circle.
Now we are ready to take on the minor scales.
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Scale Theory Part II – The Sad Relatives
Minor scales follow the same principles as the major scales, they just follow a different pattern of
semi and whole tones. To begin with I will map out the A minor scale because it has no sharps or
flats.
A
A
1st
A#/Bb
B
B
2nd
C
C
3rd
D
D
4th
C#/Db
E
E
5th
D#/Eb
F
F
6th
G
G
7th
F#/Gb
G#/Ab
A
A
1st/8th
Notice that the pattern is: whole‐tone, semi‐tone, whole‐tone, whole‐tone, semitone, whole‐tone,
whole‐tone. The A minor uses only natural notes just like C major scale only uses natural notes. This
means the two scales are using the same notes, they just start at different points. We call A minor the
relative minor to the C major scale.
C
A
D
B
C
E
F
D
G
E
F
A
G
B
C
A
If we look at C major we can see A is the 6th degree. This is how we can find out what the relative
minor is of a major scale, simply find the 6th degree of the major scale. If we look at the A minor scale
we can see that C is the 3rd degree. This is how we can find the relative major scale our minor scale,
simply find the 3rd degree of the minor scale.
Below are all the minor scales from the circle of 5ths (using sharps only) To find out the relative major
scale just identify the 3rd degree of each scale (in turn you could go back to the major scales and
identify their relative minor by checking what the 6th degree of each scale is).
A
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
A#/Bb
B
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
B#
C
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
C#/Db
D
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
D#/Eb
E
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
F
F
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
F#/Gb
G
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
G#/Ab
A
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E
E
A
D
G
C
F
F
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
Fb
F#/Gb
G
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
G#/Ab
A
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
And here are the minor scales from the circle of 4ths.
A
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
A#/Bb
B
B
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
C
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
C#/Db
D
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
D#/Eb
Bb
Eb
In the next two tables I have compiled all the major scales and minor scales together.
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Major Scales
1
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
2
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
3
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
4
F
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
Fb
5
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
*6
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
7
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
B#
E
A
D
G
C
F
*3
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
F
4
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
G
C
F
5
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
A
D
G
C
F
6
F
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
Fb
1/8
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
F
Bb
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
7
G
D
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
1/8
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
*Relative minor
Minor Scales
1
A
E
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
D
G
C
F
Bb
Eb
Ab
2
B
F#
C#
G#
D#
A#
E#
B#
E
A
D
G
C
F
Bb
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Gb
Cb
Bb
Eb
Ab
Db
Bb
Eb
*Relative major
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Intervals – The Space Between
An interval is the space between one note to another. Intervals have specific names that we use like a
short hand to explain the distance e,g C to G is a perfect 5th rather then saying C to G is 7 semi‐tones.
Below is a table of intervals, the 1st column is the name of the interval, the second column is the
distance in semi‐tones the interval is from the start note. The third column is what the note would be
using C as a start point. This is very important to remember: the interval is the distance from the
start point and the other note e.g F is a perfect 4th above C.
Interval
Unison
b2nd
2nd
Min 3rd
Maj 3rd
Perfect 4th
b5 (or dim 5th or aug 4th)
Perfect 5th
Min 6th (or #5th or aug 5th)
Maj 6th
Min 7th (or b7th)
Maj 7th
Octave
b9th
9th
Min 10th (or #9th) (min 3rd up 1 octave)
Major 10th (maj 3rd up 1 octave)
11th
Augmented 11
Perfect 12th (perf 5th up 1 octave)
b13th
13th
ST
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Note
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
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Chord Theory – It’s All A Numbers Game
Chords can be as simple or as complex as you want. First it is important to remember that a chord
starts with the major or minor triad. The maj triad is made up of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the
respective major scale and the min triad is made up of the 1st 3rd and 5th notes of the respective minor
scale.
So the C major chord is built from C (1st), E (3rd) and G (5th) and the C minor chord is built from C
(1st), Eb (3rd) and G (5th) (If you are having trouble with this concept read through the “Scale Theory”
section). Once you have your triad it is simply adding on numbers from the scale.
Below is a table of chords and what they are made up of. I have used C as the base note for each chord
(known as the root or the tonic). If the chord has the word min in the name it means it is from the C
min scale, all others are from the C maj scale. The first column is the name of the chord, in the second
column are the notes that make up that chord and the third column is degree/interval (straight
numbers are the degree of the scale, names are the interval from C).
Name
C maj
C min
C sus 2
C sus 4
C maj 7
C min 7
C dom 7
C min/maj 7
C 6
C min 6
C 6/9
C min 6/9
C 9
C maj 9
C min 9
C 11
C maj 11
C min 11
C 13
C maj 13
C min 13
C diminished
C half dim
C augmented
C add
Notes
Degree/Interval
C E G
1 3 5
1 min3 5
C Eb G
C D G
1 2 5
C F G
1 4 5
C E G B
1 3 5 7
1 min3 5 min7
C Eb G Bb
C E G Bb
1 3 5 b7
1 min3 5 7
C Eb G B
C E G A
1 3 5 6
1 min3 5 6
C Eb G A
C E G A D
1 3 5 6 9
1 min3 5 6 9
C Eb G A D
C E G Bb D
1 3 5 b7 9
C E G B D
1 3 5 7 9
1 min3 5 min7 9
C Eb G Bb D
C E G Bb F
1 3 5 b7 11
C E G B F
1 3 5 7 11
1 min3 5 min7 11
C Eb G Bb F
C E G Bb A
1 3 5 b7 13
C E G B A
1 3 5 7 13
1 min3 5 min7 13
C Eb G Bb A
C Eb Gb A
1 min3 b5 bb7
C Eb Gb Bb
1 min3 b5 b7
C E G#
1 3 #5
Add the degree to the triad: C add 9 ‐ C E G D
Other Info
The 3rd must be replaced with either the 2nd or the 4th to
make a suspended chord.
Always use the major 6th interval for each of these chords.
You can leave out the 5th but the 1st, 3rd, 7th 9th/11th/13th
must be present in the chord.
1 3 5 9
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