Diatonic harmony is like the backbone of Western music. It's especially important when we look at major and minor scales. Let’s break it down.
Diatonic harmony is all about the seven notes found in these scales and the chords made from them. These chords create a structure that guides the music, helping it feel like it’s moving and eventually resolving.
In a major scale, the chords usually sound happy, bright, and uplifting. Here are the typical chords:
For example, in C major, the chords go from C to Dm to Em to F to G to Am, and finally to Bdim. When you go from V to I (like G to C), it feels really strong. This creates a satisfying end to the progression. It gives major key songs that joyful feeling we often hear in happy pop songs.
On the other hand, the minor scale has a more complicated emotional feel. The chords here are:
In the key of A minor, you have Am, Bdim, Cmaj, Dm, and E (with E also being E major in harmonic minor). The move from the darker minor sound to a brighter major sound feels like going from a cloudy day to a burst of sunlight, especially when that V chord goes back to the i.
In the end, diatonic harmony helps shape the feel of a piece of music. Whether we’re playing in a major key, building tension and release, or exploring the deeper feelings of a minor scale, these harmonies allow us to express a wide range of emotions. That’s why learning scales and their diatonic chords is so important for any musician.
Diatonic harmony is like the backbone of Western music. It's especially important when we look at major and minor scales. Let’s break it down.
Diatonic harmony is all about the seven notes found in these scales and the chords made from them. These chords create a structure that guides the music, helping it feel like it’s moving and eventually resolving.
In a major scale, the chords usually sound happy, bright, and uplifting. Here are the typical chords:
For example, in C major, the chords go from C to Dm to Em to F to G to Am, and finally to Bdim. When you go from V to I (like G to C), it feels really strong. This creates a satisfying end to the progression. It gives major key songs that joyful feeling we often hear in happy pop songs.
On the other hand, the minor scale has a more complicated emotional feel. The chords here are:
In the key of A minor, you have Am, Bdim, Cmaj, Dm, and E (with E also being E major in harmonic minor). The move from the darker minor sound to a brighter major sound feels like going from a cloudy day to a burst of sunlight, especially when that V chord goes back to the i.
In the end, diatonic harmony helps shape the feel of a piece of music. Whether we’re playing in a major key, building tension and release, or exploring the deeper feelings of a minor scale, these harmonies allow us to express a wide range of emotions. That’s why learning scales and their diatonic chords is so important for any musician.