The Chord to Scale page. Paragraphs in this page are: Introduction Finding chords in a scale Finding scales for a chord Introduction The Chord to Scale page is a prequisite to all issues we will face considering the Tonal Music System as well as a moderate dive useful for all styles that favor improvisation and present a "Modal" attitude inside the system they are based on. In other words, this page serves all. I presume that this page is read after the Intervals , Chords and Interval to Scale pages. In this intro, add what you've read in the Combining theoretical issues paragraph of the Interval to Scale page. We will still be out of Music Systems. For the sake of the examples, we will face the Major (Ionian) and the Phrygian Modes this time, and we will omit all the minor modes completely. But we will read again, because it's very important, the Degree definition. The Degree is the position of a tone according to the interval distance from the base of a scale, measured primarily as a number and secondary as the interval quality. Let's begin. Finding chords in a scale The task is relevant to the intervals find, allthough in this case we have to remember less because of the certain structures that the chords present. Considering especially 3-voice by 3rd chords in tne Major (Ionian) and the Prygian Modes, we will have to remember only three types. This is because both Modes can be generated from one note Genre. All the difference is the specific degrees that the specific chord types are found. First, some Major (Ionian) Scale chords: Chords Degrees Chords Degrees Chords Degrees 3-voice by 3 Major 1 4 5 3-voice by 3rd minor 2 3 6 3-voice by 3 diminished 7 4-voice by 4 Perfect 2 3 5 6 7 4-voice by 4 base aug 4 4-voice by 4 top aug 1 4-voice by 3 Major 7M 1 4 4-voice by 3 Major 7m 5 4-voice by 3 minor 7m 2 3 6 4-voice by 3 dim 7m 7 4-voice by 3 Major 6M 1 4 4-voice by 3 minor 6M 2 4-voice by 3 minor 6m 3 6 4-voice by 3 dim 6m 7 Remarks: There are nowhere two 3rd Majors sequentially, therefore no Augmented chords. There are nowhere three 3rd minors sequentially, therefore no 4-voice diminished chords. The 1,4,5 chords are Major and if a 7th added, it is minor only for the 5th degree. The 2,3,6 chords are minor and if a 7th added, it is minor. The 7 chord is diminished and if a 7th added, it is minor. This is the "half diminished". Only one chord by 4th has base 4th aug and only one chord by 4th has the top 4th aug. The 4-voice by 3 dim 6m (B D F G) seems like 4-voice by 3 Major 7m inversion (G B D F). Memorize: the 3-voice by 3rd chord degrees, all of them. the Major7m degree (G7 in C Major Scale). It is called "Dominant" in the Tonal Music System. What we will see in the C Phrygian example is that all previous remarks will be valid. Only the chord degrees and notes will change. There won't be any table though, because there is no point for this. 2 additional remarks: 1) Because all Phrygian Scales derive from the one and only Phrygian Mode, all chords as structures are the same degrees in all phrygian scales. The notes would change though: In C Phrygian, the 1st 4-note chord is Cm7, in A Phrygian it would be Am7. 2) The Natural Tone Genre (all white notes) produces a Phrygian that has exactly the same notes as C Major: The E Phrygian. Here, all chords and notes would be exactly the same but would differ as relation to the base scale, and would therefore play a different role to the two scales nomatter that they are the same notes exactly. G7 is 5th degree to C Major - Ionian but it is also 3rd degree in E Prygian and plays a completely different role. Finding scales for a chord The opposite issue reminds the scales for an interval question: We have to step down the degree as a specific interval to find out the base of the scale. There is also a one by one relation: Since every Major scale has only a diminished 3-voice chord (m/5b), then any chord of that type will be found in one Major Scale only. In which major scales does the Am7 (A minor 7th minor) belong to? 1) In the Major Mode - therefore in every Major Scale - m7 chords are located in 2,3,6 degrees. 2) All degrees in the Major Scales are either Perfect or Major. 3) We step down from the base of the chord (A) 2M, 3M and 6M. 4) We find: G, F, C Major Scales. For other Modes now, there are two methods. 1) We follow the note genre: Since we found G, F and C Major (Ionian) Scales, we can easily traverse their note genres and find all deriving Scales. For example: G Ionian notes produce also A Dorian, B Phrygian, C Lydian, D Mixolydian, E Natural Minor (Aeolian) and F# Locrian. If we do the same for F and C Major, we have found a bunch of different scales. But this is like a recipe and it does not help us to be more and more experienced in Mode-Scale thinking when messing with chords. 2) We distinctly remember or instantaneusly produce specific mode chords. This is more demanding: we do not think of modes via other modes, therefore no modes have a secondary role. As we remember that the Dorian scale's 1st degree is m7, we also do this for the Phrygian and the Aeolian Scales that derive from the same base, not the same genre. So, Am7 belongs to the A Dorian Scale as well as the A Phrygian and the A Aeolian. Ok, this is hard if we want to remember other degrees and not only the 1st, but with some practice, we will remember that for example in Dorian, 1 2 and 4 are all the m7 chords and in Aeolian this is 1,4 and 5 (that's why the 5th has to become a Major chord to become a Dominant and comply to the Tonal Music System, therefore producing the Harmonic minor Scale). In other words, the second method is harder but pays back more.