CHRISTMAS FUN

PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENTS/TUTORIALS

C Major & A Minor Scales/Chords

G Major & E Minor Scales/Chords

D Major & B Minor Scales/Chords

A Major & F# Minor Scales/Chords

E Major & C# Minor Scales/Chords

Intervals & Inversions

Inversions Part II

Arpeggios

Chord Substitutions

7th & Sus4 Chords

Chasing Cars 

Free Fallin’

THIS WEEK’S ASSINGMENTS/TUTORIALS

• B Major Scale
• G# Minor Scale
• Learn/Play What A Wonderful Life: for the melody, either sing along, or play the melody in the right hand
• Learn/Play Gravity by John Mayer

B MAJOR

G# MINOR 

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

GRAVITY by JOHN MAYER

TIME SIGNATURES

SOME BASICS

Circle of Fifths

Circle of Fifths PDF (for printing): Circle of Fifths

Order of Sharps: F# C# G# D# A# E# B#
Order of Flats: Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb

Nashville Number System for Chords

1 (MAJOR), 2 (MINOR), 3 (MINOR), 4 (MAJOR), 5 (MAJOR), 6 (MINOR), 7 (DIMINISHED)

So in the key of C, here are the chords via the Nashville Number System:
C MAJOR, D MINOR, E MINOR, F MAJOR, G MAJOR, A MINOR, B DIMINISHED

How to Create a Scale Using the
Whole Step-Half Step Pattern

Whole Step vs. Half Step
Half steps = the notes/keys on the piano are right next to each other
Whole steps = the notes/keys on the piano have one note in between them

Major Scales & Chords (Create Them Using Steps)

Major Scale:
Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step
W, W, H, W, W, W, H

Minor Scale:
Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Half Step
W, H, W, W, H, W, W

To create a chord, or a triad (3 notes played together), use scale tones 1, 3 & 5.

Major Chords: Between tones 1 & 3 there are two whole steps. Between tones 3 & 5 there is 1 whole step and 1 half step. See photo below.

Minor Chords: Between tones 1 & 3 there is one whole step and one half step. Between tones 3 & 5 there are two whole steps. See photo below.