Originally Posted by: gmixstudiosThanks, my big brother said it would help me understand chords, and said something about knowing the notes in the scale would help me know what chords I could use in a progression but what about just playing chords and if it sounds good then use it?

Just not sure how its going to help me as Im quite basic and just figuring out C G and Am chords as we speak

Sarah

Every scale has "degrees". The major scale has 7 (8 including the last note which is an octave of the first). Chords are formed using the degrees/tones of a scale. If you wanted to play a C chord, you would play the 1st 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale. Going back to the whole/half step pattern:

root-w-w-h-w-w-w-h
c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

So a C chord would be 1,3,5 which are notes c,e,g. You are probable familiar with the C chord shape that includes the last note, c/8. The reason you can play that is because it is an octave of the first note (aka, its the same exact note, so you won't have contradicting sounds).

It is easiest to show that using the C scale since it has no sharps or flats like I mentioned. The other scales are exactly the same thing though.

As far as playing. If you are playing a chord progression, (lets say, C to G to Am) you can essentially play any note in the C scale while on the C portion, any note of the G scale while playing that part, and the same with Am.

Edit: Jarsew just posted something in this thread that is related and expands on what I just said here:
http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31830