Transforming and playing scales and chords by counting half tones
Fig. 11.
| Scale formation | C |
| Major: | 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 | Play |
| minor: | 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 | Play |
| Blues: | 3 2 1 1 3 2 | Play |
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Fig. 11. Half tone intervals in the scales
By knowing the number of half tones between each key played in a scale, you can easily transform a scale to any root key you wish. For example, you want to play the Bb Major scale: start with key Bb, count 2 half tones to play C, count another 2 half tones to play D, count 1 half tone to play Eb, another 2 to play F, and so on. The sound examples to the left are played from C (root key). |
If you want to transform a Major scale into a minor scale, then lower the 3rd, 6th and 7th key by half a tone.
Fig. 12.
Chord names
see Fig. 3 - 9 for examples in C |
Triad |
7th |
9th |
11th |
13th |
| Major - M, M7, M9, M11, M13 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
| minor - m, m7, m9, m11, m13 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| Dominant - 7, 9, 11, 13 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| Diminished - dim, dim7 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
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| Half diminished - m7b5 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
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| Major 6 - M6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
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| minor 6 - m6 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
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| Augmented - aug, or + |
4 |
4 |
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| Suspended - sus4 |
5 |
2 |
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Fig. 12. Constructing chords by counting half tones
In the same way, you can transform any chord. The numbers given in the table are the number of half tones between the played keys. Pick any key as root, count half tones to play the next key etc.
Examples:
1) C7 (dominant 7) consists of the keys: C, E, G, Bb (see and hear C7 in Fig. 4). Count the half tones between each key, here 4, 3, 3 (see Dominant 7th in the table). Now pick any root key you want, for example F. To play the F7 chord, count the half tones (4, 3, 3) starting from F, you will play F, A, C, Eb which is the F7 chord. If you want to extend it to F13 then count another 4 half tones to play G (9th), another 3 half tones to play Bb (11th), and another 4 half tones to play D (13th).
2) You want to play AM (Major triad with root in A), the table shows 4, 3 for a Major triad. Play key A, count 4 half tones to play C#, then count 3 half tones to play E => A-C#-E.
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You can construct all the other chords in the same way, simply by counting the half tones between the played keys and transfer to any other root key. If you just played a C7, and you want to follow with an F7, it is easier to play the inversion: C, Eb, F, A because the first finger will stay on C.
When you play keys beyond the octave (9th, 11th, 13th) you can play them as arpeggios, or with two hands, or you can shift the keys to play them within the same octave. In that case it will sound more "harmonic" if you skip some of them, besides you only have 5 fingers if you play the chord with one hand.
See and listen to all the chords with root in C here.
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