Originally Posted by: strat-manDo you mean notes or chords? i'm confused (easily done) i've just started learning theory and i thought that the major scale was constructed from tones? whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half, and that the chords from the scale were major-minor-minor-major-major-minor-diminished? :confused:

I like to learn things in segments, a chunk at a time if you will, rather than trying to consume the whole thing at once and choking on it. Theory is so complexed, I believe confusion is it's middle name. A piece at a time you might say. Now to the next level regarding your question(s) (there is a book that can be written from those two or three powerful little sentences you wrote). Even though I covered the note is a note, when you combine those notes with the intervals you listed above, the answer is yes I mean notes in the Major scale. The Diatonic makeup changes the value of each note by the order it is placed in the Major scale. The Root note is King (Super Tone, The Big Ionian Major Dog you might say) the other notes are given rank by Mr. Root by their tonal value to Root. Some are dominant, some pre-dom and some are just passive, Major chord doesn't even need em other than holidays.
Hell, one of the them had to be diminished down to nothing just to fit in, but has a few secrets on being heard.
To be clear, The Major, minor and diminished notes of the Major scale carry a title for their position in relation to the Root. Remember that all chords are constructed from scales and they are not the sole reason for each notes title. Every note in the scale has it's own opportunity in the spotlight after being assigned to a Mode of the Diatonic Scale. How that Mode compliments King Ionian and the neighbors, dictates it's title.
Hope that was more to the point. Back to the circle of Fifths.