Question about minor keys

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mlb1399
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Question about minor keys

Unread post by mlb1399 » Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:05 pm

Ok, so I know how to figure out what notes are in a minor key. I'm trying to figure out what chords will sound good. More specifically I'm looking to find out what chords in general will sound good major, minor, diminished and augmented.

In a major key it's pretty simple:
vi- relative minor
ii- another that works

Are there any rules like this that apply in minor keys? Thanks in advance.

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i am sam2
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Unread post by i am sam2 » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:11 am

im not really sure what you are asking but you can figure out what each chord (1 through 7) would be (major, minor, diminished, half diminished) just by keeping it in the key. for example, in G major, the 4 chord is a IV, a C major triad, because starting with that note and taking thirds in the key gives you the intervals that make a major chord. on the other hand, in g minor, the 4 chord is a iv, a c minor, because if you take two thirds from C in g minor, you get the c, the eb, and the g, which make a minor chord.

i dont know if that is what you are looking for. if not let me know and maybe i can still help
~marsh
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zenful
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Unread post by zenful » Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:29 am

you can harmonize the minor scale if you know the harmony for the major scale

the major scale is: I ii iii IV V vi vii(dim)

and if you know that the vi is the relative minor, you just start from there but treat vi as i

so minor would be: i ii(dim) III iv v VI VII

the trick is though that keys in minor have raised 6 and 7, so you have to take these into account when using chords. traditionally this would make the dominant chord in minor keys a major chord (i.e. V not v)

and this is all traditionally theory of course, which is difficult to apply to any type of modern music

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i am sam2
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Unread post by i am sam2 » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:59 pm

^^^ thats the stuff i was talking about.
~marsh
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"Don't be ridiculous. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fill my freezer with my own blood."
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