Chord Diagrams with Intervals

[Keith Wilson]

I am a guitarist primarily and used to looking at chord diagrams for reference.

I like to easily see what the intervals are within the chords (which note is the root, major or minor 3rd, 5th and dominant 7th). I have the Mel Bay E9 chord sheet and the Hal Leonard book of chords and scales but neither really let me see the intervals at a glance.

So I have had a go at creating my own simple chord diagrams with a system that shows the intervals. It was a useful exercise for me in familiarising myself with the neck but I thought the chord sheets that I have created might also be of interest to others learning pedal steel. So..

Here is a downloadable link to a pdf version of simple major, minor and dominant 7th chords in all major keys. I have kept it really simple - just using three pedals and two levers. Hopefully it is easy to understand from the explanation on each sheet. I have included a reference to where I have the levers for raising and lowering the e string but that may differ if you have a different copedant.

https://keefwilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Simple-Chords-with-interval-numbers.pdf

If you want to get separate sheets for individual keys they are available from a post on my website at:-

https://keefwilson.com/chord-diagrams-with-intervals/

Hope this is of some use to someone

Keith

[Tony Russell Davis]

Nice one Keith
I'm looking forward to the time when we can all get together again at the Buck
Keep well, Tony.

[Keith Wilson]

Thanks Tony. Yes definitely looking forward to getting back to the Buck!

More good news on vaccines today so hopefully it will not be too long now!

Kind regards

Keith

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Nice one Keith that is a lot of trouble you have gone to that I am sure will help a lot of people that are learning to play our beloved instrument properly and in a way I wish I had learned, unfortunately my brain fogs over at the sight of a sheet of written explanation and I can only play what my one remaining (working) ear judges to be right but as to what notes or chords I am playing I fess up, I have not got a clue but 45 years of trying has given some rewards but I still envy people who understand music.

[hickenjr]

Nice one Keith that is a lot of trouble you have gone to that I am sure will help a lot of people that are learning to play our beloved instrument properly and in a way I wish I had learned, unfortunately my brain fogs over at the sight of a sheet of written explanation and I can only play what my one remaining (working) ear judges to be right but as to what notes or chords I am playing I fess up, I have not got a clue but 45 years of trying has given some rewards but I still envy people who understand music.

One big part of knowing interval theory is that you've still got to be able to hear them.

[Keith Wilson]

Thanks John - I think it is just a matter of what you are familiar with - I think intervals a lot when I am playing guitar so I was looking for the same thing on the steel and couldn't find anything. Any way - you certainly can play a lot better than I can so music theory is pretty irrelevant!

[bob adams]

Great job on the charts Keith, appreciate the input!...... Excellent!

[Keith Wilson]

Thanks Bob!