These excellent all-inclusive books teach scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadences at three different levels. Includes all the major, harmonic minor and chromatic scales in a special one page per key format. The scales are presented on one page, with one line of scales in parallel motion, one line in contrary motion, one line of cadences and one line of arpeggios. Always remember that to know a chromatic chord is one thing and to apply it rightly is another thing.Accomodates the learning pace of younger students such as those in Alfred's Basic, Level 2. The term chromatic literally means colorful and really can add a lot of color to your chord progressions when used rightly. Spice up your playing by incorporating chromatic chords into chord progressions either as leading note chords or as secondary dominant chords. Check out a few of them:Īll these B dominant chords would resolve to the E minor seventh chord: …is the chord of the third tone (aka – “chord 3”), it’s secondary dominant chord is a fifth above the root of the E minor seventh chord:Īll B dominant chords would function as secondary dominant chords to the E minor seventh chord. The term dominant in music is synonymous with fifths or the number five.Ī secondary dominant chord is a dominant chord that is a fifth above the root of a given scale-tone chord (whether it’s major or minor). The Application Of Chromatic Chords As “Secondary Dominant Chords”Ĭhromatic chords can also be applied as secondary dominant chords and this is easier than it sounds. Leading note chords can also be applied as a passing chords to minor chords and it follows the same procedure like that of the major chord. …is a chromatic chord that can be applied as a passing chord to the F major seventh: …is a chromatic chord that can be applied as a passing chord to the F major triad: …can be approached using any of the leading note chords (which are chromatic chords): The chord of the fourth tone which include any of the following: …therefore, E diminished chords are leading note chords to F chords.Į diminished chords include the following: For example, the leading note in the key of F major: Leading note chords are diminished chords that are a half-step below any given chord.Įvery chord (whether major or minor) has its corresponding leading note chord which is a half-step below its root. The Application Of Chromatic Chords As “Leading Note Chords”Ĭhromatic chords can be applied as leading note chords. We’ll look at two out of the several ways chromatic chords can be applied. Application Of Chromatic ChordsĪlthough chromatic chords are foreign to the key, they can be applied in any given key. …any chord that consists of one or more notes that are foreign to the key of C major is considered as a chromatic chord.Īlright, now that we’ve refreshed our minds on chromatic chords, let’s proceed to learning how they can be applied. In a nutshell, a chord is only considered chromatic when one, some, or all of its note are foreign to the prevalent key. …where all the notes are foreign to the key of C major. …where 66% of the chord composition is foreign to the prevalent key.

…the following scale-tone chords are obtainable:Īny other chord that one, some, or all of its tones are foreign to the prevalent key (which is C major in this case) is a chromatic chord. A Quick Review On Chromatic ChordsĪ musical idea (be it a note, interval, chord, or scale) is considered to be chromatic when it is foreign to the prevalent key. Our focus in this lesson is on the application of chromatic chords.īut before we delve into that, let’s get started by refreshing our minds on what chromatic chords are.

Chromatic scale piano