Basic Theory of Harmonic Scale Progressions

In prior chord lessons, you have learned chords by their name, shape, position. You need to know this before you progress any further, because you'll need to know chords by name, and make your own choices whether to play the chords with a capo, use bar chords or inversions, or a combination of all three. In the next few lessons, you'll learn how to connect chords together the way the pros do.

If you don't feel you are solid on the chords learned in earlier lessons, stop now and go back until you are comfortable recognizing and playing all your open chords, bar chords, and inverted chords. Herewe will introduce the diminished chord, as it is important in rounding out the harmonic scale. Only the diminished chord should be new to you at this point.

Harmonic Scale

The harmonic scale is a series of seven chords, all of which have notes in the major scale of some key. Because all of the notes belong to the same scale, they naturally sound related, but because each of the chords use different notes in the scale, each has its on characteristics which relate to its position in the scale.

While the harmonic scale played up or down just sounds like a scale with harmony, it is barely musical musical, because it lacks form, and other musical elements that make it interesting. But when you start to take the chords that make up the harmonic scale and rearrange them over time and add melody, an amazing variety of music begins to unfold. Virtually ALL Western music is rooted in this scale, or somevariation of it, so now is the time to pay attention. This is where the the hands, the mind and the ear begin to function as an integrated unit.

The Harmonic Scale Using Triads

A Triad is just three notes stacked on top of each other separated by an interval of major or minor 3rds. When you play the major scale in the key of C using triads instead of individual notes, you get the most basic harmonic scale. It looks and sounds like this:

The Harmonic Scale Using 7th Chords

A 7th chord just stacks an additional 3rd on top of the existing triad. The harmonic scale with 7th chords looks and sounds like this:

Most of the chords in the above charts are not very guitar-friendly, but they are given to illustrate the principle of stacked thirds. Try playing them as in the charts as an exercise, but in practice, there are more guitar-friendly fingerings, as you have already learned.

The Harmonic Scale Using 2nd Inversion Triads

Played in 2nd Inversion, the harmonic scale looks like this:

The Harmonic Scale Using 1st Inversion Triads

Played in 1st Inversion, the harmonic scale looks like this:

The Harmonic Scale Using Open Chords

The above examples had you playing all the chords in the scale by moving your hand up and down the neck. But there are many occasions where playing all open chords is more appropriate. Played in Open Chord positions, you can use a capo to raise or lower the key being played in. Using open chords, the harmonic scale looks like this: