Major and Minor Tonic Chords and Scales

Tonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys

In this lesson, let's review the choices you have with tonic chords in major and minor keys.

Major Key Options

For instance, if the key is C, you might encounter several options:

• You might play a triad.
• You might play a sixth chord.
• You might play a major seventh.

But it doesn't stop there! You can also play:

• A major ninth
• A major six, nine

That's actually five different ways of playing the I chord.

Minor Key Options

In minor, you have even more choices. For example, you could play:

• C minor triad
• C minor 6
• C minor 7

Some further options might include:

• C minor with a major seventh (a quite exotic sounding chord)
• C minor 9
• C minor 6, 9
• C minor major 9

Hear it down here. This creates a really moody chord, and we will be using that chord in the next tune, White Russian.

Improvisation Tips

You may be thinking, "How am I going to improvise over that C minor major 7 chord?"

One solution to that is to use the melodic minor scale, which has a B natural in it. You wouldn't want to use the melodic minor over a C minor 7 chord, as it would clash with the B flat in the chord.

Now that we've gravitated towards this major seventh sound, it could sound effective. This scale also fits C minor 6.

Minor Scales at Our Disposal

We have three minor scales at our disposal:

1. Dorian - Fits C minor 6 or C minor 7.
2. Melodic - Fits C minor 6 and C minor major 7.
3. Harmonic Minor - Fits C minor major 7 as well.

These will provide three different colors of the minor that you'll be hearing in White Russian.

We will be playing those two chords in the solo using either the melodic or harmonic minor scale.