Our second theory lesson will deal with the formation of major scales and while we are looking at major scales we will also cover where different types of chords fall withing a scale.

At this point we will only deal with the major scales. A major scale can be formed by choosing a starting note and using the following pattern; whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

There are other methods but this one works rather well. If we do this starting on the note C we get:

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C  (C Major Scale)

We can do this for all twelve notes as follows:

Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - C - Db (C# / Db Major Scale)

D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D  (D Major Scale)

Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D - Eb  (D# / Eb Major Scale)

E - F# - G# - A - B - C# - D# - E (E Major Scale)

This can be done all the way up to the note B. You will notice that anytime you start on a black key it has two different names. That is because they are enharmonic.

Now that we know how to form major scales we will now look at the different types of chords which occure naturally within a major scale or the key in question. These types of chords are known as diatonic triads. A triad is simply a chord made up of three notes.

The three types of triads which occure naturally within a major scale are:

• major triads
• minor triads
• diminished triads

Major triads are formed on the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees of a scale.

Minor triads are formed on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees of a scale.

Diminished triads are formed on the 7th degree of a scale.

This is all we really need to know before moving on to actually learning all the different types of chords.