Let's Play Music #5
Connecting Chords with Modes
This article will take what we’ve learned in the previous lesson, Let’s Play Music #4: An Introduction to Modes, and expand upon it with chords that fit each mode. Some of these chords can be thought of as “modal chords” in that they only fit one specific mode. If you’re not familiar with modes, mode formulas or basic chord formulas then check out Let’s Play Music #1: Learning the C Major Scale Chords and Let’s Play Music #4: An Introduction to Modes first. You can also check out Let’s Play Music #2: Playing Music by Numbers and Let’s Play Music #3: The Basics of Rhythm which are designed to give musicians a basic understanding of how chords function and are kept in time. Now let’s get into it and look at how modes can be connected to chord voicings.
Chords and Scales Go Hand-In-Hand
When we talk about chords at a beginner level, we are talking about two or more notes being played at the same time. The lowest tone of a chord is typically the root note. After the root note we have other notes that are described as degrees, such as a CMaj7 (C Major Seven). The notes of this chord are C, E, G, and B, but the degrees are what matter. A CMaj7 uses degrees 1, 3, 5, and 7. 1 is the root, 3 is the major third, 5 is the perfect fifth, and 7 is the major seventh. To new musicians this just means that we have a formula of 1-3-5-7 that we can create any Maj7 chord from. A DMaj7 still uses the degree formula 1-3-5-7, but uses the notes D, F#, A, and C#. A musical veteran sees the same thing but knows that the formula gives some information as to which scale this comes from. In terms of the Major Scale, we have Maj7 chords built from the first and fourth degrees of the scale out of seven possible degrees. Being able to look at a chord and know which scale it is from will help you to better understand the movement of a song, the function of notes and chords in a song, and how to improvise over a song.
Basic Chord Forms
There are four main forms of chords: triads, sevenths, extended, and dyads. Triads are the chords we used in Let's Play Music #1 and consist of a root note, a major or minor third, and a fifth which can be a diminished fifth, perfect fifth, or augmented fifth. There are other triads like the Major 6 or Minor 6, which we will get to soon.
Sevenths, or seven-chords, are chords that use the triad formula and then add in the minor seventh or major seventh. The minor seventh is typically used in a minor chord, but when used with a major chord it causes the chord to become dominant. When you see a chord like C7 (called C Dominant, C Dominant 7, or simply C Seven) we use the formula 1-3-5-b7 and the notes C, E, G, and Bb. This helps us by having more sonic information. We can use that b7 in a major chord and know that this can only be built from the fifth degree of the Major Scale. By having only one way to fit this chord into our scale, we know what we can play over it for a melody.
Extended chords go beyond the first octave. A chord like Cadd9 uses degrees 1-3-5-9 and notes C, E, G, and D. Now you might think that D is supposed to be the second degree. While that is correct, all our even numbers of 2, 4, and 6 become 9, 11, and 13 when we go past the first octave. This allows us to use three specific degrees with multiple degree functions.
Dyads are two note chords and are not considered to be one of the main chord forms. It is my experience that the utility of a dyad allows it to belong in a variety of scales. A common chord like C5, which is C and G and uses the formula 1-5, can be built from any degree of the Major Scale except for the seventh degree. A chord like C5 does not have a major or minor third, so it sounds like it could be played as either a major or minor chord as well. By playing a C5 you effectively uncommit yourself from a particular sound and end up being able to play a variety of melodies over that once chord.
The Order of the Chords
The Major Scale gives us certain chords that are in certain positions. By knowing the order, we can figure out what mode we are using in any song. The order of chords is Maj7, m7, m7, Maj7, Dominant 7, m7, m7b5. Each of these chords is a whole step apart except for the third and fourth chords and the seventh and first chords.
If I’m playing a song that starts with Em7 followed by F#m7, then I’m playing E Dorian and F# Phrygian because that is the only way those two chords fit in the chart above. The same goes when playing a C major chord followed by a D major chord. C major fits with C Lydian and D major fits with D Mixolydian. This can’t be C Ionian and D Dorian because Dorian gives me a minor chord, not a major chord. It gets even easier when I see a dominant 7 chord or m7b5 because there are only one of each of these chords in the above chart.
This also helps me to figure out what key I am in. Using Em7 and F#m7 again I can go up or down the Chromatic Scale and arrive at D Ionian. Whatever note starts Ionian is the key note for major keys. If I want the minor key, then I go to Aeolian. Using Em7 and F#m7 helps me to get to B Aeolian, so these chords are also in the key of B minor. So far we’ve focused on the chords of the C Major Scale: CMaj7, Dm7, Em7, FMaj7, G7, Am7, and Bm7b5. Using these chords gives us the keys of C major and A minor because C starts our Ionian chord and A starts our Aeolian chord.
A great way to memorize the above chart is to just start with one major and two minors: C, Dm, Em. That’s it. The next set is the reverse, two majors and one minor: F, G, Am. The last chord is easy since it is the diminished chord: Bm7b5.
Modal Chords
In the previous lesson I had you practice the modes with the chords Maj7, Dominant 7 (or just 7), m7, and m7b5. These chords are all include in the chart shown above. There are also chords that are commonly used in many songs. These chords fit multiple modes, but not all the modes. There is also a list of chords that belong to just one mode. This is what makes them “modal”. They are chords that bring out the sound of a specific mode because only that one mode matches the chord. This is where we start connecting chords with modes.
Some of these chords are three-note triads like the major, minor, and suspension chords. There are also chords that include the seventh degree of each mode, making them seventh chords. Extended chords like the Phrygian minor add flat nine (m add b9) go beyond the first octave turning the second degree into a ninth, the fourth into an eleventh, and the sixth into a thirteenth. There are no dyads shown above, but a five-chord (1-5) can be played in any mode except Locrian due to the diminished fifth (b5).
What to Practice and an Intro to Slash Chords
If you’ve been practicing your modes, then this will be easier because all we are doing is thinking about the chords that our modes can produce. The following list of chords are very common in a variety of styles. What you should practice for this lesson to is taking a chord like a Maj7 are looking at which modes it fits with. Grab a pen and paper and do this with each mode. There are other chords out there besides the ones that are shown below, so if you see a new chord then try to match it with the modes and see where that takes you.
I’ve also included some slash chords. These are chords that use another note in the bass end. If you’ve ever seen a chord like Am7/D and not known what this means, then let me make it simple. This is an Am7 (1-b3-5-b7 and A-C-E-G) with D in the bass to make it (4-1-b3-5-b7 and D-A-C-E-G). Instead of starting with D and counting out the intervals to create a convoluted chord like “D7 add9(11) no 3” using degrees 1-5-b7-9-11, we can simplify the understanding of this chord and call it Am7/D or “A minor seven over D”. This makes things a lot easier because now we can think of this as a m7 chord (Am7) over its fourth-degree note (D).
Below this next chart is an answer key. Try to figure out what modes can use these chords using just degrees. As you learn new songs, try to figure out what modes those chords fit with by the degrees used in the chords. Keep practicing every day and allow yourself to learn slowly. There’s no rush in learning music, which should be enjoyed as a life-long process.
