Chord/Scale Relations Carats and scales are intimately related — chords are derived from scales. In this chapter, we will look at how chords are formed from scales, the relationship between chords and scales, and how to use this information to find the right scale for a set of chords. Here is a C major scale in tablature, with the half-steps and whole-steps between the notes shown (if you don't know what half-steps and whole-steps are, try consulting a music theory book such as Guitar Techniques - Music Theory for Guitar published by the Hal Leonard Corporation. whole whole half whole whole whole half Now, here is the same scale as diatonic triads with the intervals shown. Each of these triads consists of a scale tone from the C major scale as the root (or name tone) and two more notes that form intervals of a third and of a fifth relative to the root. (Again, if you don’t know what roots, intervals, thirds, fifths, etc. are, try consulting a music theory book.) The type of third or fifth that occur in each chord will vary — only notes from the scale are used to form diatonic triads, and whatever type of interval occurs is used. ae | P50 PSS Ps P5 P5 Sdim PS. M3 m3 m3 M3 MB m3. M3