Major Diatonic ChordsWe will concentrate our initial efforts in the Key of "C". The facility to compose will be relatively easy since we are working only for the moment with "white" keys. If you are using this course to compose on an instrument other than a keyboard, it would help to develop at least a cursory understanding of the keyboard (ie: note names, flats, sharps, etc.). All of the ideas can be used with any instrument* .Our music consist of 7 fundamental chords. These are derived from the 7 notes of the Major Scale. The Major Scale consist of
two
tetrachords a whole step apart. A tetrachord is a whole
step + whole step + half
step.
By using every other note,
and working up the scale, we create 7 chords:
This will be the foundation for our initial compositions. If you were going to write a song in the Key of "C", these would be the only set of chords you could use. If you used any others, you would no longer be in the Key of "C", you would have modulated into another Key. As we continue to develop
our understanding, we will eventually add many other chords to our collection
and thus learn the secrets of modulating but still maintaining a sense
of one Key.
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