TOF - Table of Fifths & TOF Slide Chart

***** TOF - Table Of Fifths *****
TOF - Table Of Fifths

&
TOF Slide Chart
©2019 www.Clusivity.com EDM / Pop Producer & Songwriter. Free download. TOF v1.1 Page 1
TOF: The Table Of Fifths:
Clusivity.com 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B 10B 11B 12B 1B 2B
1) MAJOR D♭ A♭ E♭ B♭ F C G D A E B F# - G♭
KEY RE♭ LA♭ MI♭ TI♭ FA DO SOL RE LA MI TI FA# - SI♭
2) Minor 3A 4A 5A 6A 7A 8A 9A 10A 11A 12A 1A 2A
Key B♭m Fm Cm Gm Dm Am Em Bm F#m C#m G#m D#m - E♭m
3) Scale: Db-Eb-F-Gb- Ab-Bb-C-Db- Eb-F-G-Ab- Bb-C-D-Eb- F-G-A-Bb- C-D-E-F- G-A-B-C- D-E-F#-G- A-B-C#-D- E-F#-G#-A- B-C#-D#-E- F#-G#-A#-B-
Notes Ab-Bb-C Eb-F-G Bb-C-D F-G-A C-D-E G-A-B D-E-F# A-B-C# E-F#-G# B-C#-D# F#-G#-A# C#-D#-F
4) # or ♭ 5♭ 4♭ 3♭ 2♭ 1♭ 0 1# 2# 3# 4# 5# 6# FCGDAE
TOF v1.1 BEADG BEAD BEA BE B © Clusivity F FC FCG FCGD FCGDA 6♭BEADGC
5) MAJOR Db Ab Eb Bb F C G D A E B F#
Chord Db-F-Ab Ab-C-Eb Eb-G-Bb Bb-D-F F-A-C C-E-G G-B-D D-F#-A A-C#-E E-G#-B B-D#-F# F#-A#-C#
+ (V7) (B) (Gb) (Db) (Ab) (Eb) (Bb) (F) (C) (G) (D) (A) (E)
6) Minor Bbm Fm Cm Gm Dm Am Em Bm F#m C#m G#m D#m
Chord Bb-Db-F F-Ab-C C-Eb-G G-Bb-D D-F-A A-C-E E-G-B B-D-F# F#-A-C# C#-E-G# G#-B-D# D#-F#-A#
+ (m7) (Ab) (Eb) (Bb) (F) (C) (G) (D) (A) (E) (B) (F#) (C#)
7) Dim. Cdim Gdim Ddim Adim Edim Bdim F#dim C#dim G#dim D#dim A#dim Fdim
Chord C-Eb-Gb G-Bb-Db D-F-Ab A-C-Eb E-G-Bb B-D-F F#-A-C C#-E-G G#-B-D D#-F#-A A#-C#-E F-G#-B
+ (dim7) (A) (E) (B) (Gb) (Db) (Ab) (D#) (A#) (E#) (C) (G) (D)
8) Major 7 Db-F-Ab-C Ab-C-Eb-G Eb-G-Bb-D Bb-D-F-A F-A-C-E C-E-G-B G-B-D-F# D-F#-A-C# A-C#-E-G# E-G#-B-D# B-D#-F#-A# F#-A#-C#-F
9) Sus4 [2] Db-Gb-Ab Ab-Db-Eb Eb-Ab-Bb Bb-Eb-F F-Bb-C C-F-G G-C-D D-G-A A-D-E E-A-B B-E-F# F#-B-C#
10) Aug Db-F-A Ab-C-E Eb-G-B Bb-D-F# F-A-C# C-E-G# G-B-D# D-F#-A# A-C#-E# E-G#-C B-D#-G F#-A#-D
Advantages of the TOF Slide Chart: Using the TOF, it only takes SECONDS to determine:
- It’s FREE!! - All major keys and their relative minor key.
- You can make your own Slide Shart in 10 minutes (see next page)! - The notes (scale) of a key: which notes can you use for composing and improvisation.
- You can fold it and carry it with you. - The signature of a key (# or ♭).
- It includes this free little ebook explaining basic music theory, the use of the TOF and TOF Slide Chart. - The key of a song by looking at the key signature.
It helps you understand music theory. - The difference between 2 keys in key signature and notes.
- It includes the Camelot system used for harmonic mixing. - The 7 basic chords of any key.
- It is an excellent tool to help you compose music. - Chord progressions in any key.
- It is easy to transpose a song to another key. - Modulation from one key to another key.
- It is easy to transpose musical scores for instruments tuned in another key. - The notes of the 10 most popular chords.
- No need to count, simply READ the required information from the TOF.
- The TOF contains the 10 most popular chords with notes: major, dominant7, minor, minor7,
diminished, diminished7, major7, suspended 4th, suspended 2nd and augmented chords.
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Create your own free TOF Slide Chart!
(Some pictures in this ebook may differ due to update.)
Instructions:
The TOF Slide Chart has 2 parts: the TOF and the Slider.
- The TOF, the Table Of Fifths can be found on page 2.
Print this page on thick paper. Print it twice if you want to create an extended table.
Choose AUTOMATIC ORIENTATION when printing (or use LANDSCAPE orientation).
- Cut out the TOF.
- Optionally: Create an extended table: Cut out the columns 3B to 7B of the 2nd print. Tape this small table
to the right side of your first print so that column 3B is next to column 2B. You have now created an
extended table. Keep in mind that you will jump from # to b when going from column 2B to 3B.
- Plasticize the (extended) table.
- On the last page of this ebook is the SLIDER. Print this page on thick paper.
Choose AUTOMATIC ORIENTATION (or use PORTRAIT orientation).
- Cut out the Slider. Cut out the grey hatched boxes to create a cross-shaped window in the Slider.
- Fold the lower half of the Slider backwards on the middle line. The middle line is the line between the
dashed rows (- - - -). See picture on the left.
The lower boxes marked with ‘X’ should now touch the back side of the upper boxes marked with an ‘X’.
- Plasticize the Slider on both sides.
- Close the Slider: stick the 2 strips marked with ‘X’ together with tape.
- There are 4 dashed lines marked (S-----S) on the top and bottom of the Slider: these are the staples lines.
Staple the 2 S-lines at the bottom.
Put the TOF in the Slider and decide whether to put the staples at the top of the Slider on the S-lines or
above the S-lines, depending on the width of the plastic around the TOF. Make sure the Slider can move
smoothly left/right over the TOF.
TOF TOF Example of column 8B + summary

© Row 1: shows the MAJOR KEYS: here C (DO) major. The TOF Slide Chart is free to download! The download link can be found on my Facebook page.
8B
Clusivity This is 8B in the Camelot system. In this ebook, columns
C
1) MAJOR are referred according to the Camelot system. Column
DO In return I am asking you for a small favor: like my Facebook page:
KEY 8B has the key of C.
Row 2: Every major key has a relative MINOR KEY that https://www.facebook.com/Clusivity/
2) Minor 8A uses the same notes, here A minor, written as Am (or
Key Am sometimes lowercase a). This is 8A in the Camelot Don’t miss any news about updates! New versions will be announced on Facebook. But as you know, Facebook has a
system. strange policy of showing public pages far down the list,... and 80% of fans never gets to see the information, so...
Row 3: shows the SCALE: the notes of the key, here the I suggest to like my Facebook page as ‘SEE FIRST’ so you don’t miss any information about updates:
3) Scale: C-D-E-F- notes in the C major and A minor key. They have a 1) LIKE the page Clusivity.
Notes G-A-B different root note: C resp. A. The root notes are 2) Tap ‘FOLLOWING’. Click on the 3 dots if you don’t see ‘FOLLOWING’.
written in bold.
Row 4: shows the number and order of # or ♭.
4) # or ♭ 3) Select ‘SEE FIRST’.
0 e.g. the C and Am key both have no # or ♭. The rules
- are described in table 2. This row also shows which
notes are different when comparing 2 keys.
Row 5: shows the MAJOR and DOMINANT 7th CHORD
5) MAJOR C
(V7) of the major key (from row 1), here C MAJOR is C-
Chord C-E-G
E-G and C7 is C-E-G-Bb.
+ (V7) (Bb)
Rows 5-10 show chords. The root note is always in bold.
6) Minor Am Row 6: shows the MINOR and MINOR 7th CHORD of
Chord A-C-E the minor key root note (from row 2!), here A minor
+ (m7) (G) (Am=A-C-E) and Am7 (A-C-E-G).
7) Dim. Bdim Row 7: shows the DIMINISHED and DIMINISHED 7th
Chord B-D-F chord of the key, here Bdim (or B° = B-D-F) and Bdim7
+ (dim7) (Ab) (B-D-F-Ab).
8) Major 7 C-E-G-B Row 8: shows the MAJOR 7th chord of the major key
root note, here Cmaj7.
9) Sus4 [2] C-F-G Row 9: shows the SUSPENDED 4th chord of the major
key root note, here Csus4. The SUSPENDED 2nd chord
can be found in the column to the right. Csus2 = Gsus4
10) Aug C-E-G# Row 10: shows the AUGMENTED chord of the major
key root note, here Caug. Clusivity is a pop &EDM producer and songwriter. Follow Clusivity on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Spotify.
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TOF: 7B
1) MAJOR MAJOR KEY
Table Of F
KEY numeral
Fifths FA
©2019 2) Minor 7A Minor Key
Clusivity Key Dm numeral
3) Scale: F-G-A-Bb-
Notes C-D-E
4) # or ♭ 1♭
B
5) MAJOR Bb F C IV - I - V VI - III - VII A
Chord Bb-D-F F-A-C C-E-G (V7) V7 -> A-C#-E
(V7) (Ab) (Eb) (Bb) (G)
6) Minor Gm Dm Am ii - vi - iii iv - i - v
Chord G-Bb-D D-F-A A-C-E
(m7) (F) (C) (G)
7) Dim. Edim vii° ii°
Chord E-G-Bb
(Dim7) (Db)
8) Major 7 F-A-C-E
9) Sus4 [2] F-Bb-C
10) Aug F-A-C#
USING THE SLIDE CHART: SUMMARY - Chord progressions: the 7 basic chords have a different number depending whether they are used in
Here is a summary of the use of the TOF and the TOF Slide Chart. A detailed explanation starts on the the major or minor key. Therefore the Slider has 2 columns:
next page. -> the red column ‘MAJOR KEY NUMERAL’ indicates where the chords of the major key can be found:
The 2 pictures above show the same example: The TOF Slide Chart consists of 2 parts: the TOF and the *) chord IV, I and V can be found in row 5: chord IV in the left column of the T, chord I in the centre
Slider. column and chord V in the right column of the T. Here IV=Bb , I=F , V=C and V7=C-E-G-Bb
For some applications it is enough to use the TOF without the Slider. For other applications you will *) chord ii, vi and iii can be found in row 6: chord ii in the left column of the T, chord vi in the centre
have to use the Slider over the TOF. column and chord iii in the right column of the T. Here ii=Gm, vi=Dm, iii=Am
- Here the Slider is aligned with the F MAJOR KEY and D MINOR KEY. All info below is applicable to *) chord vii° can be found in row 7.
these 2 keys. -> the blue column ‘MINOR KEY NUMERAL’ indicates where the chords of the minor key can be
- This is 7B and 7A in the Camelot system. found:
- Row 3: The notes in the F and Dm key are: F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E. *) chord VI, III and VII can be found in row 5: chord VI in the left column of the T, chord III in the centre
- Row 4: Key signature: There is 1♭ which is B(b). If the key signature of a song has 1♭(and no column and chord VII in the right column of the T. Here VI=Bb , III=F , VII=C.
accidentals), you know for sure that it will be a Bb (see table 2) and the song is either in the key of F or Remark: V7 for the minor key is on the right side of the [V7 ->] marking. Make sure you use the
Dm. extended TOF-table to determine the V7 of the columns 12B, 1B and 2B. Here: V= A-C#-E and V7= A-
- The 7 BASIC CHORDS in the key: use the ‘T’ in rows 5,6,7: Row 5: The 3 major chords are Bb, F and C. C#-E-G.
Row 6: The 3 minor chords are Gm, Dm, Am. Row 7: The diminished chord is Edim. *) chord iv, i and v can be found in row 6: chord iv in the left column of the T, chord i in the centre
- Rows 8, 9 and 10 show some special chords of the major key root note. column and chord v in the right column of the T. Here iv=Gm, i=Dm, v=Am.
*) chord ii° can be found in row 7. Here ii°=Edim.
INTRODUCTION Click on the links below: Make sure you have a printed TOF and Slider next to you when
Hi! I am Clusivity: pop &EDM producer and songwriter. On the reading this text. It will make your life so much easier.
next pages is an explanation of the TOF, the Table Of Fifths The text below contains many exercises. Use these exercises to
that I have developed. What makes the TOF so special? It’s become familiar with the use of the TOF and the TOF Slide
surprisingly easy to use, once you understand how it works. Facebook Instagram Spotify Chart. Continue with the text, ONLY when you fully understand
And if you understand the circle of fifths the use of the TOF is and master the exercises: don’t run if you can’t walk.
straightforward. One last thing, a disclaimer: Clusivity is not liable for injuries
You don’t have to remember any tricks, or count steps up or Twitter YouTube caused by the TOF!  Have fun!!
down. Just READ the information from the TOF, it’s there, in
front of you. Why did I make a table instead of a circle? KEY
Because the table can hold much more information and is easy There are 12 notes. Each note can be used as a foundation to
to read. build a song: the key. A song is usually composed in a
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The Circle Of Fifths is endless. The TOF isn’t. However, you can particular key, chosen by the composer. A majority of songs is
make the TOF endless if you want (but I don’t recommend composed in a single key, and you could transpose a song to
doing it): Fold the TOF backwards, stick column 2B to the left any other key. There are major keys and minor keys.
Make sure you follow me on Facebook so you get notified
side of the TOF and you have kindof a ’3D Circle Of Fifths’.  You could write a song in the key of C major. If you transpose
about updates! See page 4 about following as ‘See First’.
Kind of... The only disadvantage now is that the TOF suddenly this song to D major, the entire song will sound 2 semitones
Oh, and if you like the TOF, please leave a comment on
jumps from # to ♭between column 2B and 3B. higher.
Facebook.
Throughout this ebook I assume that we are working within
2) Show the TOF Slide Chart to your friends. Share the
one particular key. The entire information in this ebook refers
information in forums, Facebook groups, blogs, etc.... If you
to the TOF. Whenever I use the term ‘row’ or ‘column’, this
are a music teacher, you might want to show the TOF to your
refers to a row or column in the TOF.
students and let them use it. They will benefit from the use.
Share this information with your musician-friends because
The TOF: The Table Of Fifths: Keys, chords and notes.
they might like it. Perhaps even show the TOF to your
The TOF is derived from the circle of fifths. The TOF is the holy
enemies to show-off your knowledge and skills  .
grail to compose and play music as it contains invaluable
Some basic music knowledge is highly recommended to help
information for composers and musicians. Use of the TOF is
you understand this ebook. Have a look at terms like: key,
one small step for mankind, but giant leap for you! 
chord, scale, circle of fifths, key signature, major chords, minor
Row 1 of the TOF shows the 12 major keys and row 2 shows
chords, intervals, … Tip: Check https://www.wikipedia.org/.
the 12 relative minor keys. Each column in the TOF represents
Click on the hyperlinks to connect to the Wikipedia pages.
a major and its relative minor key.
Do you think I should add a short description in the next
In the TOF, keys are sorted with intervals of fifths (which is 7,
update? Let me know on Facebook.
yes 7, semitones), because of their close relationship and
signature properties (see ‘NEIGHBOURING KEYS’).
Throughout this ebook I will talk constantly about KEYS and
A key has certain notes and chords that can be used and
I hope you like the TOF and its use! If you do, you can support CHORDS. It is extremely important to understand the meaning
certain notes and chords that are ‘out-of-key’ and their use
me (and it’s free  ), by doing 2 things: of those 2 words.
may sound odd. However you could use these out-of-key notes
1) Like my social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and The theory described in these pages is simplified to help you
as a transition or to build tension.
Twitter. Follow me on Youtube, Spotify, etc... Do it now so understand the basics. It is not intended as a complete music
you don’t forget...  Thanks! theory.
Any time you have to move RIGHT (or LEFT) in the TOF and Question Answer NEIGHBOURING KEYS
there are no columns, continue on the other side of the TOF. What is the relative minor key of the D B minor key Neighbouring keys share 6 of the 7 notes and the differing
Or better: use the extended table. major key? note only differs by a semitone. e.g. Look at row 3: The C
Columns are numbered according to the Camelot system (see What is the relative major key of the C minor Eb major key major key and the G major key are closely related because the
key?
paragraph below). E.g. ‘Column 8B’ has the keys of C major and only difference between the G major key and the C major key is
What is the major key in column 11B? A major key
A minor. Sometimes in this ebook I refer to a column by its F# instead of F. Actually, in row 4 you can SEE the difference
What is the Camelot notation of the E major 12B
Camelot number. key? between 2 keys: the C major key has no flats or sharps, the G
Which key has Camelot notation 7A? D minor key major key has 1 sharp: F#. All other notes in those 2 keys are
CAMELOT system What is the relative minor key of the Ab F minor key the same. This is the reason why they are neighbours in the
Notation: 1A/B to 12A/B. major key? TOF. E.g. the only difference between the F major key and the
E.g.: C major is 8B in the Camelot system. What is the relative major key of the E minor G major key C major key is Bb instead of B.
The Camelot system is used by DJs for harmonic mixing. Mix key? REMARK: Row 4 shows the sharps and flats: e.g. FCGDA in
songs with the same number, (e.g. 8A and 8B), or with adjacent What is the major key in column 7B? F major key column 1B. Actually you should read this as F# C# G# D# A#,
What is the Camelot notation of the D minor 7A
numbers (e.g. follow 8 by an adjacent number: 7 or 9). but I have simplified this and only write the note that is raised
key?
Caution: N.I. TRAKTOR has a different system where 1m is 8A Which key has Camelot notation 10A? B minor key or lowered without the signature!
and 1d is 8B, etc…! Continue reading ONLY when you fully understand the above Now you also understand the principle of harmonic mixing and
exercises. the Camelot system: why neighbouring numbers can be mixed.
NOTES IN A KEY
The 7 notes in a key can be found in row 3 of the TOF. A scale Take a break.  Watch the music video of * Table 2: KEY SIGNATURE: Number and order of # or ♭:
is a sequence of notes. E.g. In the key of C major the scale is: C- my debut song ‘Nevada’: # -> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
D-E-F-G-A-B. The scale starts with the C note, the root note of F C G D A E B
the scale. The notes can be numbered. Note 1 is C, note 2 is D, Fa Do Sol Re La Mi Ti
note 3 is E, etc… If you want to compose a song in the C major 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ♭ <-
key, you can use any of these notes in your song.
For the A minor (natural) key the scale is the same but has a If a key has more than one #, the order can be determined by
different root note A instead of C: A-B-C-D-E-F-G. Here the root going left-to-right in table 2: the 1st # will always be F#, the
note is A, note 2 is B, note 3 is C, etc… 2nd # will be C#, the 3rd # will be G#, …
KEY SIGNATURE
In row 3 you will find both scales-in-one, with both root notes The order of # is ALWAYS the same: FCGDAEB. This is the
Row 4 shows the key signature: which # or ♭are used in the
in bold letter: C-D-E-F-G-A-B. same order as the keys in the TOF!
key. The central key in the TOF is the key of C major and A
The relative minor key has the same notes as the major key. If a key has more than one ♭, the order is the opposite of the
minor, indicated by a green column. It is central because it has
Use these notes to compose a melody or for improvisation. order of #: look at the bottom row in table 2 and go right-to-
no # or ♭.
By the way, in the text below I will often use b to represent ♭, left in table 2: the 1st ♭ will always be Bb, the 2nd ♭ will be
Keys to the right of C major have increasing #, and keys to the
simply because it is easier, so Eb means E♭. Eb, the 3rd ♭ will be Ab, …
left have increasing ♭. Moving 1 column to the right, adds 1 #
The order of ♭ is ALWAYS: BEADGCF.
or reduces 1♭. Moving 1 column to the left, adds 1 ♭ or
Exercises: Below are some exercises to check if you understand See row 4 in the TOF:
reduces 1#.
the theory and to become familiar with the TOF. Use the TOF E.g.: Key A and F#m have 3#: they are F#, C# and G#.
to answer the questions below. (You don’t need to use the E.g.: Key B♭ and Gm have 2♭: they are B♭ and E♭.
Slider yet).
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Exercises: Use the TOF to answer the questions below. (You The table above shows how the 7 chords are built: Chord 1, 4 and 5 (C,F,G) are major chords and are written as
don’t need to use the Slider yet). - Chord 1: use C as root note and add note 3 and 5 above the C, Roman capital letters: I, IV, V. Chord 2, 3 and 6 (Dm,Em,Am) are
What is the key signature of the E major F# C# G# D# which are E and G. Chord 1 has the notes C-E-G. The distance minor chords and are written as Roman lowercase letters ii, iii
key? between C and E is 4 semitones. Therefore, this is a major and vi. Chord 7 (Bdim or also sometimes written as B°) is the
The key signature is Bb Eb Ab. There are no Eb major or C chord: C major (C). diminished chord and is written as vii°.
accidentals. What are the possible keys of minor key - Chord 2: use D as root note and add note 3 and 5 above the D, In any key, you can build 7 basic chords with the 7 notes of
the song?
which are F and A. Chord 2 has the notes D-F-A. The distance the scale. There are always 3 major, 3 minor and 1 diminished
A key has 3 sharps. Which are they? F# C# G#
between D and F is 3 semitones. Therefore, this is a minor chord.
Which minor key has 2 flats? G minor key
Which note is different if you compare the D G becomes G# chord: D minor (Dm). Notice that the sequence of the chords is always in
major and A major key? - Chord 3 has E as root note and has the notes E-G-B. The alphabetical order (ABCDEFG), except for the ‘exotic’ keys
What is the key signature of the Ab minor Bb Eb Ab Db distance between E and G is 3 semitones. Therefore, this is a with 6 or more # or ♭, but obviously the start note will be
key? minor chord: E minor (Em). different.
The key signature is F# C#. There are no D major or B - Chord 4 has the notes F-A-C. The distance between F and A is Note that (pun intended!) the A minor key is the relative minor
accidentals. What are the possible keys of minor key 4 semitones. Therefore, this is a major chord: F major (F). key of C major: it uses the same notes and chords as C major
the song?
- Chord 5 is G-B-D. The distance between G and B is 4 and can be found in row 2 of the TOF, in the same column as C
A key has 5 flats. Which are they? Bb Eb Ab Db
semitones. Therefore, this is a major chord: G major (G). major.
Gb
Which major key has 5 sharps? B major key - Chord 6 is A-C-E. The distance between A and C is 3 The root note of the Am key however is note A and the root
Which note is different if you compare the F E becomes Eb semitones. Therefore, this is a minor chord: A minor (Am). chord is Am and is noted as i. Look at table 4: The minor key
major and G minor key? Now there is something special: The distance between note 1 has 3 major chords (III,VI,VII), 3 minor chords (i,iv,v) and a
Continue reading ONLY when you fully understand the above and note 5 of the chords 1 to 6 is always 7 semitones. diminished chord ii° (see table 4). As you can see, the minor
exercises. - Chord 7 is B-D-F. The distance between B and D is 3 key uses the same chords as the major key but the Roman
semitones. So it would be a minor chord. However, the numerals are different. This is only important to you if you are
BASIC CHORDS IN A KEY: Theory distance between note 1 and 5 (B and F) is only 6 semitones, playing chord progressions: This different numbering can be
The C major key uses the 7 notes: C-D-E-F-G-A-B. You can use instead of the normal 7 semitones. Note 5 is a semitone lower confusing, so always make sure if you are talking about a major
these 7 notes to build 7 basic chords: use each note as root than normally in a major or minor chord. That’s why chord 7 is or minor key!
note of the chord and add the 3rd and 5th note above the root called a diminished chord and is a special case. It is used less A major key uses major as well as minor chords, and a minor
note. frequently than the other 6 chords. It is used to create tension key also uses major and minor chords. Any major key has a
in a song. relative minor key that uses the same notes and chords.
Table 3: Building 7 basic chords in the key of C major:
Chord Root C D E F G A B C D E F 7 BASIC CHORDS IN THE KEY OF C CHORD PROGRESSIONS
note Table 4: Summary of the 7 basic chords in the key of C: A chord progression is a sequence of chords, written as Roman
1 C X X X C Major key Chord Notes A minor key numerals, e.g. progression I-IV-V is used in 1000s of songs and
2 D X X X I C C-E-G III you can play it in any major key. It will sound identical, only
3 E X X X ii Dm D-F-A iv higher or lower, depending on which key you use.
4 F X X X iii Em E-G-B v If you are playing chord progressions it is extremely important
5 G X X X IV F F-A-C VI
to check whether the numeral is a capital or lowercase letter
6 A X X X V G G-B-D VII
because the chords are different.
7 B X X X vi Am A-C-E i
vii° Bdim B-D-F ii°
I-IV-V is not the same as i-iv-v. Look at table 4: I-IV-V are the C CHORD PROGRESSIONS: Use the Slide Chart!
chords C,F,G in the C major key while i-iv-v are the chords But that’s not all! The TOF Slide Chart allows you to
Am,Dm,Em in the A minor key and they will sound different! 5) MAJOR chord F C G determine any chord progression in any key within seconds!
Look at table 4: For a major key the basic chords are: I-ii-iii-IV- F-A-C C-E-G G-B-D From table 4 we know that for the key of C major: C is I, Dm is
6) Minor chord Dm Am Em
V-vi-vii°. For a minor key the basic chords are i-ii°-III-iv-v-VI- ii, Em is iii, F is IV, G is V, Am is vi and Bdim is vii°. Now replace
D-F-A A-C-E E-G-B
VII. Once again, notice the difference between capital the chords in the yellow ‘T’ by the Roman numerals and you
7) Dim. chord Bdim
numerals and lowercase ones. B-D-F get the table below:
Another example: Look at table 4: IV-vi-iii can only be found in
the left column so it is a major key progression. By moving the Slider left or right, you move the T-shape and For any MAJOR key, the position of the chords is:
The C major chord is I in the C major key and III in the A minor can easily determine the 7 basic chords of any key. Below is an 5) MAJOR chord IV I V
key. example where the Slider is aligned to the key of F major and D 6) Minor chord ii vi iii
So if you are playing chord progressions, the numerals matter! minor. In these 2 keys, the 3 major chords are Bb, F and C, the 7) Dim. chord vii°
Good news: the TOF will let you easily determine which chord 3 minor chords are Gm, Dm and Am, and the diminished chord This table is only valid for major keys! For a MAJOR KEY: chords
is chord IV in D major, or chord VI in B minor. Read on. is Edim. IV, I and V can be found in row 5, chords ii, vi and iii in row 6
When looking at chord progressions, always make sure and vii° in row 7.
whether the Roman numbers refer to a MAJOR or a MINOR 7B Chord I is in row 5 in the centre of the ‘T’, chord IV is in row 5 in
KEY. 1) MAJOR
F the upper left corner of the ‘T’, chord V is in row 5 in the upper
KEY
FA right corner of the ‘T’, etc …
It’s time for a break again.  Watch the 2) Minor 7A ♭
music video of my debut song ‘Nevada’: Key Dm ♭ For any MINOR key, the Roman numeral of the chords is
3) Scale: F-G-A-Bb- different. From table 4 we know that for A minor: Am is i, Bdim
Notes C-D-E is ii°, C is III, Dm is iv, Em is v, F is VI and G is VII. Now again
4) # or ♭ 1♭ replace the chords by the Roman numerals.
B
5) MAJOR Bb F C For a MINOR key, the position of the chords is:
Chord Bb-D-F F-A-C C-E-G
5) MAJOR chord VI III VII
6) Minor Gm Dm Am
6) Minor chord iv i v
7 BASIC CHORDS: Use the slide chart! 7) Dim. chord
7) Dim. Edim ii°
If all of the above ‘sounds’ too complicated (pun intended), I
Chord E-G-Bb
have very good news: Notice that the position of the chords can be found by moving
The TOF Slide Chart allows you to easily determine the 7 basic in the ‘T’ from left-to-right and top-to-bottom by each time
It takes only seconds to determine the 7 basic chords of any
chords of a key within seconds. The 7 basic chords are
key. And you can read the notes of all the chords as well! How skipping a box.
organised as a ‘T’-shape in the TOF.
cool is that? So, the 2 tables above show you the position of the chords for
The table below shows part of the TOF for the C major key: the
the major key and for the minor key. To make your life easy,
3 major chords can be found in row 5 (F, C and G), the 3 minor
this information is written on the Slider in the red and blue
chords (Dm, Am and Em) in row 6 and the diminished chord
column.
(Bdim) in row 7. This ‘grey T-shape’ can be found inside the www.Clusivity.com
Slider window.
MAJOR Minor What are the notes in the Eb major chord? Eb-G-Bb definitions. However, there are 2 important terms I would like
KEY Key What are the notes in the F# minor chord? F#-A-C# to explain: tonic and dominant.
numeral numeral What are the notes in the G major chord? G-B-D Chords I (i) and V (v) are the most important chords in a key: I
5) IV - I - V VI -III-VII What are the notes in the G minor chord? G-Bb-D and V in a major key and i and v in a minor key.
Bb F C
MAJOR What are the notes in the G diminished G-Bb-Db Often a song will start with chord I (i), then move to other
Bb-D-F F-A-C C-E-G
Chord chord?
chords to build tension towards chord V (v), followed by a
6) Minor Gm Dm Am ii - vi - iii Iv - i - v What are the 3 basic major chords in the Eb AB, Eb, Bb
major key? sense of resolution or ‘home coming’ in the end chord I (i).
What are the 3 basic minor chords in the A Dm, Am, Em Chord I (i) is called the tonic chord and considered ‘home’.
7) Dim. Edim vii° ii°
Chord E-G-Bb minor key? Many chord progressions and songs end here. Chord V (v) is
What are the 3 basic major chords in the B G, D, A called the dominant chord and will often precede I (i).
minor key? Notice that, in the TOF, V is always on the right side of I and v
Look at the 2 right columns above. These columns can be found
What are the 3 basic minor chords in the A Bm, F#m, C#m is right of i. Often the purpose of the dominant chord is to
on the Slider. The red column is titled ‘MAJOR KEY NUMERAL’.
major key? build tension which can be resolved by using the tonic chord.
The information in this column is only valid for the major key. What is the IV chord in the A major key? D
Below, in row 5, you find the information ‘IV-I-V’. This indicates E.g.: In the key of C major, the song will often start with the
What is the V chord in the Eb major key? Bb
the relative position of the chords in the T-shape. It means that tonic chord C major, move in some way towards the dominant
What is the IV chord in the G major key? C
chord IV can be found in the left column of the ‘T’, chord I in What is the ii chord in the F major key? Gm chord G major, and end there or ‘come home’ to the tonic C
the centre column and chord V in the right column. In row 6 What is the iii chord in the G major key? Bm major chord. In a major key the chord progression is often: I-
you will find chord ii in the left column, chord vi in the middle What is the vi chord in the B major key? G#m (some chords)-V-I.
column and chord iii in the right column. What is the VI chord in the C minor(!) key? Ab The diminished chord is often used instead of the V chord to
What is the v chord in the D minor key? Am build tension.
Can you see that, in the F major key, Bb is chord IV, F is chord I,
What is the iv chord in the B minor key? Em In the key of A minor, the song will often start with the tonic
C is chord V, Gm is chord ii, Dm is chord vi, etc …? Just make
What is the VII chord in the F# minor key? E chord A minor, move in some way towards the dominant chord
sure you understand this before continuing reading. What is the III chord in the A minor key? C E minor and end there or ‘come home’ to the tonic A minor
What is the Roman numeral of the D major V
The rightmost (blue) column is titled ‘MINOR KEY NUMERAL’ chord. In a minor key the chord progression is similar: i-(some
chord in the G major key?
and it indicates the position of all the chords in the minor key. What is the Roman numeral of the D major VII chords)-v-i.
The information in this column is NOT valid for the major key! chord in the E minor key? In the key of Am, v is Em. But often v doesn’t give enough
Can you see that, in the D minor key, Bb is chord VI, F is chord What is the Roman numeral of the C# minor iii tension. Therefore the major variant V is used instead of v. The
III, C is chord VII, Gm is chord iv, Dm is chord i, etc …? chord in the A major key? major variant of Em is E major. In row 4 look for the E major
What is the Roman numeral of the G minor iv chord. This chord is 3 columns to the right of the minor chord.
So, once you understand the TOF table and the Slider, it is
chord in the D minor key? The major chord can be found 3 columns right of the minor
super-easy to determine chord progressions in any key!
Continue reading ONLY when you fully understand the above chord.
In short, look at the red column to determine chord
exercises!
progressions in a major key, and look at the blue column to
determine chord progressions in a minor key. C G E
C-E-G G-B-D E-G#-B
www.Clusivity.com Am Em
A-C-E E-G-B
Exercises: Use the TOF Slide Chart to answer the questions
below. If you are struggling with these exercises, then I TONIC AND DOMINANT
(The use of the major chord has to do with the different minor
recommend you read the text again on the last 2 pages. Throughout this ebook I try to keep things as simple as
scales: natural and harmonic/melodic minor scale. In the
possible, so I have avoided the use of complex terms and
harmonic minor scale note 7 is raised by a semitone. But that is So far so good? V7 is per definition a major chord. Remember that all major
beyond the scope of this ebook ). chords can be found in row 5 of the TOF. The minor chords are
Use your ears to judge whether v or V sounds best. In a minor DOMINANT 7TH CHORD in row 6.
key, V is often used instead of v. A dominant 7th chord is written as V7 and is a major V chord to E.g. Look at the example of the TOF Slide Chart below: the key
which a minor 7th is added. It is built on the dominant (step V) of D minor is selected in the Slider. In the key of Dm, v is Am (A-
Exercises: Use the TOF Slide Chart to answer the questions of a key. The goal of a dominant 7th chord is to create extra C-E). The major chord of Am is A, but this chord is not part of
below. tension and drive the piece strongly towards ‘home’: so the key. In fact I already mentioned on the previous page that
Question Answer instead of using V-I, you use V7-I in a major key. the major chord of a minor chord can be found 3 columns
What is the key signature of the key of D F# C# In the TOF the additional note is written in row 5 in brackets. right of the minor chord.
major? Here is an example. Look at the example below for the C major E.g. The A chord can be found 3 columns right of Am. A major is
What is the relative minor of the key of Bb G minor key: A-C#-E and V7 is A7 with the notes A-C#-E-G.
major?
Well, the TOF makes your life easy again: The V7 chord is
What is the key signature of the key of C Bb Eb Ab
C G indicated by the Slider: look in the blue column in row 5:
minor?
C-E-G G-B-D The position of the minor key V7 chord is indicated on the
What are the 3 major chords in the key of Ab Db, Ab, Eb
(Bb) (F) Slider in the blue column in row 5 by the symbol: V7 ->
major?
Am Em
What are the 3 minor chords in the key of D Em, Bm F#m
A-C-E E-G-B
major? 7B Major
What are the 3 major chords in the key of F Db, Ab, Eb F Key
minor? In the key of C major, the V chord is G. Add the (F) to the G-
FA numeral
What are the 3 minor chords in the key of G Cm, Gm, Dm chord (G-B-D) to turn the V chord into a V7: the dominant 7th
7A Minor Key
minor? chord G7 has 4 notes: G–B–D–F. Dm numeral
What is the dominant chord in the key of G D Once again, the TOF makes it super-easy to find the V7 chord: it
F-G-A-Bb-
major? is found in the box on the right side of the tonic by using all 4 C-D-E
What is the IV chord in the key of Eb major? Ab notes. The V7 can be found in the upper right corner of the T-
What is the VI chord in the key of C minor? Also Ab! 1♭
shape. B
What is the iv chord in the key of D minor? Gm
In row 5, the row of the major chords, the note in brackets is F C VI - III - VII A
What is the iii chord in the key of Eb major? Gm
What is the V chord in the key of F major? C the 4th note to make a V7 chord. F-A-C C-E-G V7 -> A-C#-E
What is the VII chord in the key of G minor? F E.g. Check the TOF Slide Chart: In the key of D major: D major (Eb) (Bb) (G)
What is the v chord in the key of B minor? F#m chord is the tonic. Chord A major is the dominant A-C#-E and Dm Am iv - i - v
What are the notes of the G minor chord? G-Bb-D A7 is the dominant 7th chord by adding the note (G): A-C#-E-G. D-F-A A-C-E
Which note is different if you compare the D becomes D# Also, notice that the diminished chord C#dim (C#-E-G) is very (C) (G)
key of A major and E major? similar to A7 (A-C#-E-G).
Which note is different if you compare the Eb becomes E The diminished chord of a key is very similar to the V7 chord .
key of G minor and D minor? In the minor key it is a little more complicated: the tonic chord www.Clusivity.com
Before you continue reading, you really need to be familiar
is i and the dominant is v. They are both minor chords.
with the 7 basic chords, chord progressions, tonic and
Unfortunately, v doesn’t create enough tension. Therefore, in Do you see the red V7 -> symbol in the blue column on the
dominant. You need to be able to use the TOF and the Slider.
the minor key, often the major chord V or V7 is used instead Slider? This is where you can find the V7 chord of the minor
So if you didn’t understand some of the questions above, read
of the minor chord v to create more tension. key.
the information again. Continue reading ONLY when you fully
understand the above exercises.
A dominant 7th chord can also be used to change key. The V7 There are many other chords, like major 6th, minor 6th, 9th, found in row 6 by adding the note in brackets to the minor
of a new key is used before the new (tonic) I chord of the new 11th, etc ... I did not include these chords because perhaps that chord.
key. See the paragraph about ‘MODULATION’. would make the TOF too complicated? Or not? Let me know
your thoughts on Facebook if you want any chords added.
Exercises: Use the TOF slide chart to answer the questions www.Clusivity.com
below. DIMINISHED 7TH CHORD
Question Answer A diminished 7th chord (written as dim7 or °7) is a diminished SUSPENDED CHORDS
What is the dominant 7th chord in the key of A7 (A-C#-E-G) chord with an added note, 3 semitones above the previous There are 2 types of suspended chords: suspended 4th chords
D major? note. It can be found in row 7. In a Dim7 chord, all notes are 3 (Sus4) and suspended 2nd chords (Sus2).
What is the dominant 7th chord in the key of F7 (F-A-C-Eb) semitones apart. It can be used similarly to the dominant 7th
Bb major? Suspended 4th chords are created by using notes 1-4-5, instead
chord to create extra tension before coming home in a minor of the normal 1-3-5 pattern, where note 4 is 2 semitones lower
What is the V7 chord in the key of C major? G7 (G-B-D-F)
key: ii°7-i. than the 5th. Suspended 4th chords can be found in row 9.
What is the V7 chord in the key of A minor? E7 (E-G#-B-D)
What is the V7 chord in the key of C minor? G7 (G-B-D-F) e. g. Bdim7 (B-D-F-Ab) to Am (A-C-E). e.g. Csus4 has the notes C-F-G. A Sus4 chord can be used to
In which minor key is D7 the dominant 7th G minor key A dim7 chord doesn’t sound good. In fact it sounds a bit move from chord ii to chord I, e.g. Dm-Csus4-C.
chord? haunted, and can be used to create a feeling of fear. Suspended 2nd chords are less common than suspended 4th
In which major key is D7 the dominant 7th G major key chords. They are created by using notes 1-2-5 where the 2nd
chord? [If you want more info: A diminished 7th chord can also be note is 2 semitones above the root.
In which minor key is F#7 the dominant 7th B minor key used to transition to a new key. If you lower any note of the e.g. Csus2 has the notes C-D-G.
chord? dim7 chord, you get a V7 of a new key.
In which major key is A7 the dominant 7th D major key Notice that Gsus4 (G-C-D) has the same notes as Csus2 (C-D-G)
e.g. Bdim7 (B-D-F-Ab) can be found in the C major (A minor in a different sequence. In the TOF, Gsus4 is on the right side of
chord?
key). Csus4.
Lower the B to Bb gives Bb-D-F-Ab which is the Bb7 chord to So actually in the TOF, the Sus2 chord can be found 1 column
Don’t forget to take a break! Watch the
music video of my debut song ‘Nevada’: transition to the key of Eb major. to the right of the Sus4 chord. Therefore the notation in the
Lower the D to Db gives B-Db-F-Ab which is the Db7 chord to TOF: Sus4 [2]. The [2] refers to the box on the right side of the
transition to the key of Gb major (which is also F# major). sus4 box.
Lower the F to E gives B-D-E-G# which is the E7 chord to
transition to the key of A major. AUGMENTED CHORDS
Lower the Ab to G gives B-D-F-G which is the G7 chord of the An augmented chord is a major chord with the 5th note
key of C major. increased by 1 semitone. The suffix can be +, aug or (#5). It can
MORE CHORDS These steps are called ‘common tone modulation’ by be used to move from chord I to chord IV: I-Iaug-IV.
Until now I have talked about 4 different chords: major chords diminished 7th chords.] e.g. C-Caug-F.
(row 5), dominant 7th chords (also row 5), minor chords (row
6) and diminished chords (row 7). MAJOR 7th and MINOR 7th CHORDS Exercises: Use the TOF to answer the questions below. (You
The TOF includes some ‘other’ chords. These are special A major 7th chord (written as maj7) is a major chord with an don’t need to use the Slider).
chords, often used to create tension in a song. The TOF added note, 4 semitones above the previous note. It can be Question Answer
includes diminished 7th (row 7), minor 7th (row 6), major 7th found in row 8. What are the notes in the Ddim7 chord? D-F-Ab-B
(row 8), suspended (row 9) and augmented (row 10) chords. A minor 7th chord (written as m7) is a minor chord with an What are the notes in the C#dim7 chord? C#-E-G-A#
The root note of rows 8, 9 and 10 corresponds with the major added note, 4 semitones above the previous note. It can be What are the notes in the Ebmaj7 chord? Eb-G-Bb-D
key. What are the notes in the F#m7 chord? F#-A-C#-E
What are the notes in the Gmaj7 chord? G-B-D-F# key signature, there is no need to write the sharp sign #. You The keys at the edges of the TOF are most difficult because
What are the notes in the Gm7 chord? G-Bb-D-F can write the F without the sharp. they have a lot of sharps or flats and only very experienced
What are the notes in the Ebsus4 chord? Eb-Ab-Bb Tip: When transposing from the C major key (C-D-E-F-G-A-B) to musicians are familiar with those chords.
What are the notes in the Asus4 chord? A-D-E the D major key (D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#), the 2 keys are only 2 Think about this: Why would you write a song in the key of Db
What are the notes in the Fsus2(!) chord? = Csus4 semitones apart. Rewriting the notes is easier by simply moving major? This key has 5 flats! Five! Try to read the music score
C-F-G
each note up by 2 semitones. This is easier than looking at row with 5 flats in the key signature. Good luck! Try to play the
What are the notes in the Asus2(!) chord? = Esus4
= E-A-B 3. dominant 7th chord of the Db major scale: Ab7 has the notes
What are the notes in the Daug chord? D-F#-A# To rewrite chords, simply look at how far the 2 keys are apart. Ab-C-Eb-Gb. How many musicians can play the G7 chord by
What are the notes in the Faug chord? F-A-C# The G major key is 1 column on the right of the C major key. heart and how many can play the Ab7 chord?
Determine the position of the old chord, move 1 column to the Now, starting from the key of Db major, if you would raise the
TRANSPOSITION right and you have the new chord: C chord becomes G, F chord song by a semitone you have the key of D major which has only
Transposition is changing the key of an entire song. A reason to becomes C, Am becomes Em, Em becomes Bm, etc … 2 sharps, and if you would lower the song by a semitone you
transpose might be that a song is out of range for a vocalist. To The C major and D major key are 2 columns apart, so to have the key of … C major which has no sharps or flats! The
transpose a song you need to know the original key and the transpose chords from the C major key to the D major key, go 2 notes and chords of C and D major key are a lot easier to read
new key. Transposition means that you will have to determine columns to the right to determine the new chord: C chord and play.
the new key signature, all the notes and the chords. As you becomes D, F chord becomes G, Am becomes Bm, Em becomes So, make your life easy. Make the musician’s life easy. If you
understand, this is a lot of work. Fortunately, the TOF makes it F#m , etc … want others to play your songs, then KEEP IT SIMPLE and use
super-easy to transpose a song. In the TOF, a key is only the centre keys! The music notes are easier to read than
represented by a certain column and all the required COMPOSITION: WHICH KEY SHOULD YOU USE? when composing in keys with 4 or more flats or sharps. The
information is there! When I have a melody in my head and don’t have a keyboard in musician will be more familiar with the chords.
Transposition with the TOF is as simple as determining the the vicinity, I compose my songs in the key of C major or A It is easier to learn to play the songs. Even beginners will be
column of the original key and the new key. To rewrite the minor, because there are no sharps or flats and it is easy to able to play your music.
notes, look at row 3 in the TOF. To rewrite the key signature, write the notes and bassline on a piece of paper. Later I enter Try to use the 5 centre keys. I have dubbed them the
look at row 4. To rewrite the chords, look at rows 5 to 10 in the notes into my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Then I ‘Fantastic 5’: the columns from 6B to 10B:
the TOF. transpose the song to a key within the range of my vocalist. But Major Bb F C G D
Here is an example to clarify it. how do you best determine the new key? Minor Gm Dm Am Em Bm
E.g. Transpose a song from the C major key (column 8B) to the To me it’s important that any musician, even a beginner, can
G major key (column 9B). Look at row 4 to determine the new play my songs. The easier it is to play the song, the more These keys have maximum 2 flats or sharps. So, for a song in a
key signature: the G major key has 1 sharp: F#. people will actually play it. major key you can write your song in the keys of C, D, F, G and
Look at row 3 of the TOF to rewrite the notes, one note at a It is obvious that a key signature with 4 or 5 flats or sharps Bb. For a song in a minor key you can write your song in the
time. Compare the position of the notes and replace a note doesn’t make life easy. And the chords in those keys are not keys of Am, Bm, Dm, Em and Gm.
from the old key with the note in the new key that is in the the ones that new guitar or keyboard players will learn in their These keys are maximum 3 semitones apart. These keys should
same position: C major key has the notes C-D-E-F-G-A-B and G first year. I want a beginner to be able to read the notes easily give enough choice so that any vocalist can sing your song.
major key has the notes G-A-B-C-D-E-F#: C becomes G, D and I want a new guitar or keyboard player to be able to play So, let’s say you have composed a song in the key of G major
becomes A, E becomes B, etc… If you need to transpose a note the chords. So, I have to use a key with little sharps or flats. (with 2 sharps) but it is just too high for your singer. The key 1
that is not in this list, then simply ‘interpolate’ e.g. D# can be The keys with the least sharps or flats can be found in the semitone lower than G major could be considered: F# major.
found between D and E so it becomes A# which is between A centre of the TOF. Here are the easiest chords that any guitar But this key has 6 sharps or 6 flats! Many musicians will be
and B. It’s a lot of work, but it is very easy. Because F# is in your or keyboard player learns from the beginning at the music unfamiliar with the chords. And imagine reading the musical
academy and he will be most familiar with.
score with 6 sharps or flats! I suggest to skip F# and check the in G major key, you need to transpose it to the key 2 columns Name F instr. Bb instr. Eb instr.
key 1 semitone lower than F#: F. F is in the ‘Fantastic 5’ table: right of G major: A major. Instruments English horn, Bb trumpet, Eb clarinet,
it has 1 flat and uses easy chords. If the F key is still too high for Use the same method as described in the paragraph above Horn in F Bb clarinet, alto sax,
your singer, then I recommend skipping E (4 sharps) and Db (5 ‘TRANSPOSITION’. Rewrite all notes by moving them up by 2 bass clarinet, baritone sax
soprano sax,
flats!) and using the key of D major. semitones and determine the key signature from row 4…. Or
tenor sax,
Now suppose that D major is too low for your singer (and F was add 2 sharps (or reduce 2 flats). flugelhorn,
too high) then I would recommend ... looking for another E.g. A song is in G major (1 sharp) and you need to rewrite the Bb tenor
singer. Or perhaps the lowest and highest notes in your song notes for a Bb trumpet to play along: you need to write the trombone
are too far apart and you might consider changing some notes notes in the key of A major, 2 columns to the right of the G To transpose go 1 column go 2 columns go 3 columns
in your song. major key. The trumpet score key signature will have 3 sharps: a ‘normal’ RIGHT RIGHT or RIGHT
Remark: If you also add the keys Eb major (C minor) and A F#, C# and G#, see row 4. Rewrite the notes by moving them 2 score: check move each
row 3 note up by 2
major (F# minor), your ‘Fantastic 5’ table becomes a semitones. You won’t need to rewrite the chords because the
semitones
‘Magnificent 7’ table and the keys are maximum 2 semitones trumpet cannot play chords.  To Add 1# or Add 2# or Add 3# or
apart. These keys have 3 flats or 3 sharps respectively. Some instruments, like alto saxophone and E flat clarinet, are in determine Take 1b Take 2b Take 3b
Notice that keys that are 1 semitone apart differ a lot because Eb, which is 3 columns lower than C. You would have to key signature
they are 5 columns apart in the TOF. If you transpose by a transpose them 3 columns up. To go 1 column go 2 columns go 3 columns
semitone you are making life difficult. Keys that are 2 If your song is in G major key (with F# as signature), the written determine LEFT LEFT LEFT
semitones apart only differ by 2 notes because they are only 2 key becomes the E major key with 4 sharps as key signature. the
instrument’s
columns apart in the TOF. Finally, if a music score is written for a ‘special’ instrument and
concert pitch
So far my 2 cents of advice. they ask you: “What is the concert pitch of the instrument?”,
WOW. Did you see? The TOF makes it so easy to transpose!
this actually means: how high does it SOUND? E.g. If a Bb How cool!
TRANSPOSITION OF INSTRUMENTS trumpet plays a G note, which note does it actually sound like?
Now, who said that life was easy? Most instruments like violin, In this case move LEFT in the TOF by 2 columns because Bb is
piano and guitar are tuned in C: if you play a C note, it sounds tuned 2 semitones lower than C. The G note sounds like an F.
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like a C note. Some instruments however are tuned in another The concert pitch of a G note, played by a Bb trumpet is F.
key: some trumpets, clarinets and saxophones for example are The table below shows a summary to help you transpose
MODULATION
tuned in Bb. If the player plays a C it actually sounds like a Bb. quickly.
The trumpet in this case sounds 2 semitones lower than the Modulation is changing keys during a song. The closer 2 keys
piano! Oh dear! So a trumpet player cannot simply play the are to each other in the TOF, the easier it is to modulate.
Adjacent keys are perfect to modulate to.
score of the piano player. If you want a trumpet and piano to
play together, you need to transpose the score for the trumpet. You can best modulate by using a chord that exists in both
You will have to transpose the trumpet score up by 2 keys. Neighbouring keys have 4 common chords. e.g. C major
key and G major key have 4 chords in common: C, G, Am and
semitones.
The Bb major key is located 2 columns left of the C major key. Em. Once again the TOF is a great tool to SEE this: move the
Slider from the C key to the G key and see which chords are
So if you want the notes of a Bb instrument to sound as the
visual for both keys. From the key of C major, keys F major and
notes of a C instrument, you actually have to move it up 2
columns: from the C key to the D key. G major are the best to modulate to because of the chords
they share.
So, for a trumpetist to be able to play along with piano, a song
A good way to modulate is to use the V or V7 chord of the
in C major would have to be written in D major. If your song is
future key to modulate to that key.
e.g. To modulate from C major key to G major key: use the V or Ab-C-Eb Eb-G- Bb-D-F F-A-C C-E-G G-B-D i–V–i–iv
V7 chord of the G major key. The V chord of the G major key is (Gb) Bb (Db) (Ab) (Eb) (Bb) (F) vi–V–IV–III
the D major chord (notes D-F#-A). The V7 chord of the G major Fm Cm Gm Dm Am Em I-vi-iv-V
key is the D7 major chord (notes D-F#-A-C). F-Ab-C C-Eb-G G-Bb-D D-F-A A-C-E E-G-B
Bdim Clusivity is a pop &EDM producer and songwriter.
chord sequence: D->G or D7->G
B-D-F
You can also modulate from the major key to the relative minor
key. In this case use the (major) V or V7 chord (not the minor v Don’t miss any news or updates: Like my Facebook page as
If you are in a minor key, you can borrow chords from the
chord) of the minor key on the right side of the Slider. ‘SEE FIRST’ to get informed about updates.
parallel major key.
e.g. C major to A minor! The V (V7) chord of the Am key is the E
(E7) major chord with notes E-G#-B (E-G#-B-D): Suggestions: Do you have any remarks? Do you have any
CHORD PROGRESSIONS: EXAMPLES
chord sequence E->Am or E7 -> Am suggestions for the next version? Did you see an error? Do you
Not all chord progressions ‘work’. To get you started
Another form of modulation is the use of the relative minor or like the TOF? I am looking forward to your feedback. Post
composing songs, below are some examples of chord
major key of your song in the bridge. It will sound familiar due suggestions on Facebook, below the download link. (Please
progressions. 1000s of songs have been composed with these
to the same notes being used but give you the opposite mood don’t write me an email.)
progressions.
of the song.
Use the TOF Slide Chart to look up the chords in the key of your
preference.
Exercises: Use the TOF slide chart to answer the questions
below. Facebook Instagram Spotify
Some MAJOR KEY chord Some MINOR KEY chord
Which 4 chords are common between key D F, C, Dm, Am progressions: progressions:
minor and A minor? Use the red column on the Use the blue column on the
Which 4 chords are common between key G Bb, F, Gm, Dm Slider! Slider! Twitter YouTube
minor and D minor? 2 most common ones: Common:
Which 4 chords are common between key D G, D, Em, Bm I-IV-V (= ‘12-bar blues’) i-VI-III-VII for ballads
major and G major? I-V-vi-IV (= ‘pop-punk’) i-iv-VII
What is the V7 chord to modulate to key F C7 i-VI-VII
major? I-vi-IV-V i-iv-v or i-iv-V-i www.Clusivity.com
What is the V7 chord to modulate to key A E7 ii7-V7-I7
major? I-vi-ii-V i-ii dim-V-i
What is the V7 chord to modulate to key D A7 I-IV-vi-V i-VII-VI-V
minor(!)? I-iii-IV-V i-VII-VI
What is the V7 chord to modulate to key E B7 I-IV-I-V
minor? I-IV-ii-V i-iv-VIII-III-i
IV-V-vi-IV i-ii dim-V
PARALLEL KEY I–IV–viio–iii–vi–ii–V–I
If you want to spice up your song, you can use some out-of-key I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V
I–IV–V–IV
chords. One way is to use chords from the parallel key.
vi–IV–I–V
e.g. The parallel key of C major is C minor. In the C major key:
I–IV–ii–V
look at the 6 chords of the C minor key. They are indicated in
I–IV–I–V
orange in the table below:
I–ii–iii–IV–V
I–III–IV–iv
SLIDER
X X X X
SLIDER S-----S S-----S
♭
Use with TOF: 1) MAJOR MAJOR KEY
Table Of Fifths
♭
KEY numeral
2
© 2019 2) Minor Minor Key
Clusivity Key numeral
3) Scale:
v1.1
Notes
4) # or ♭
Clusivity.com
5) MAJOR IV - I - V VI - III - VII
Chord (V7) V7 ->
(V7)
6) Minor ii - vi - iii iv - i - v
Chord
(m7)
7) Dim. vii° ii°
Chord
(Dim7)
8) Major 7 8) Major 7
9) Sus4 [2] 9) Sus4 [2]
10) Aug 10) Aug
- S-----S - - S-----S -
- - - - - -
TOF: F# G♭
1) MAJOR
Table Of FA# SI♭
KEY
Fifths 2B
Cl d# e♭
2) Minor
usivi re# mi♭
Key
ty 2A
3) Scale:
F# G# A#
Notes in a
key
6#
4) # or ♭
6♭
5) MAJOR (+ IV I V V7
maj7 Chord)
6) Minor C ii vi iii
Hord
7) Dim.
D#dim
Ch
D# F# A
ord
X X X X X X

TOF - Table of Fifths & TOF Slide Chart

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TOF TOF Example of column 8B + summary

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