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Notes in Chords: Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant Chords
Using the chords of the key of C major as an example, the notes in the tonic chord (C major chord, notes C E G), subdominant chord (F major chord, notes F A C), and dominant chord (G major chord, notes G B D)—all of the notes in these three chords are contained in the C major scale (notes C D E F G A B).
In Table 39 above, shading identifies the chord types. The major triads are lightly shaded, the minor triads medium-shaded, and the diminished triad darkly shaded.
One of the first things you’ve probably noticed about the chords that make up the seven harmonic degrees is that three of them, the three major chords, C major, F Major, and G major, are the same three chords you find in 87 gazillion popular songs. The famous “three basic chords” that everybody learns to play on the guitar pretty soon after first picking up the instrument. (And, for a lot of guitar pickers, the only chords they ever learn.)
- As mentioned, these three chords, C, F, and G, happen to collectively contain all seven notes of the C major scale and its relative minor, the A natural minor scale.
- Same goes for the three minor chords—they also collectively contain all seven notes of the A natural minor scale and its relative major, the C major scale.