Diatonic scales are major scale and it’s relative natural minor and other moods like dorian etc.
I keep things simple as possible and talk only in terms C/Am in here. What is also most natural one to ukulele players, thinking in C.
The chords are in C/Am:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim triad.
I ii iii, IV, V, vi, vii in degree notation that will apply to all scales, what ever the root.
But I want here talk about diatonic 4 note chords and substituting them to their 3 note chords.
They are Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5.
In songs the Dm7 is often used and it’s substitution chord is F, Two scale steps up is always your possible sub chord. And usually works. Just misses the root note.
Sometimes in your songbook/sheet/internet there is Dm written and it does not sound really right to the tune. It could be that the chord is stupidly simplified from Dm7 and F is a really better choice than Dm. Something like from ultimate guitar site or wherever.
The nature of all these 4 note three diatonic minor 7th chords is to add major sound twist to the harmony. Em7 can be substituted with G, and Am7 to C usually.
The minor 7th chords are easy to play with our ukulele in all 12 keys, so no need to substitute if the original chord sounds better. But sometimes the sub chord will really work better.
To use 4 note chords is not many times preferable to simple major and minor chords. Iz songs or my finnish folksongs most times like just keep things simple and harmonization clear. Most notable exception is 5th degree dominant 7th, G7. I usually like it over just G.
The nature of maj7 chords is to add a minor flavor to the chord. Cmaj7 can be replaced with Em and Fmaj7 with Am. Remember always 2 steps upper the scale.
The maj7 chords are somewhat harder to know the easy fingering. Not Cmaj7 of course
Then you can decide if say play F or Am, what sounds better.
Good source to find almost all fingerings to chords is https://ukebuddy.com/ukulele-chords
The reason is that it is in my understanding a computer based program, but somehow excluding too hard fingerings. No mutings or such stuff that would be necessary for 6 string guitar.
I does not give imcomplete 4 note chords like F7 2310, missing the 5th that is usually not so important, except when it is.
The hawaiian D7 2020, is actually F# dim triad, it is a substition of 5th degree chord leaving the root note out. It is another one that can’t be found from ukebuddy site if you search D7 fingerings.
Only complete 4 note chords.
Another interesting subject besides these substition chords are secondary dominant chords. Chords that are not diatonic to the scale, but instead dominants (5th degree)ones to a diatonic chord.
This information post I wanted share what I have learned in my quite basic knowledge of chord theory. Oh and also the 3rd degree chord can often be E(7) in the key of C/Am because of the harmonic minor scale or the secondary dominant thing to Am. The first thing I think more myself likely in that case. But this thread is kept simple and only about diatonic tunes harmonization, from my part, feel free to add more complexity in it
I keep things simple as possible and talk only in terms C/Am in here. What is also most natural one to ukulele players, thinking in C.
The chords are in C/Am:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim triad.
I ii iii, IV, V, vi, vii in degree notation that will apply to all scales, what ever the root.
But I want here talk about diatonic 4 note chords and substituting them to their 3 note chords.
They are Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5.
In songs the Dm7 is often used and it’s substitution chord is F, Two scale steps up is always your possible sub chord. And usually works. Just misses the root note.
Sometimes in your songbook/sheet/internet there is Dm written and it does not sound really right to the tune. It could be that the chord is stupidly simplified from Dm7 and F is a really better choice than Dm. Something like from ultimate guitar site or wherever.
The nature of all these 4 note three diatonic minor 7th chords is to add major sound twist to the harmony. Em7 can be substituted with G, and Am7 to C usually.
The minor 7th chords are easy to play with our ukulele in all 12 keys, so no need to substitute if the original chord sounds better. But sometimes the sub chord will really work better.
To use 4 note chords is not many times preferable to simple major and minor chords. Iz songs or my finnish folksongs most times like just keep things simple and harmonization clear. Most notable exception is 5th degree dominant 7th, G7. I usually like it over just G.
The nature of maj7 chords is to add a minor flavor to the chord. Cmaj7 can be replaced with Em and Fmaj7 with Am. Remember always 2 steps upper the scale.
The maj7 chords are somewhat harder to know the easy fingering. Not Cmaj7 of course
Then you can decide if say play F or Am, what sounds better.
Good source to find almost all fingerings to chords is https://ukebuddy.com/ukulele-chords
The reason is that it is in my understanding a computer based program, but somehow excluding too hard fingerings. No mutings or such stuff that would be necessary for 6 string guitar.
I does not give imcomplete 4 note chords like F7 2310, missing the 5th that is usually not so important, except when it is.
The hawaiian D7 2020, is actually F# dim triad, it is a substition of 5th degree chord leaving the root note out. It is another one that can’t be found from ukebuddy site if you search D7 fingerings.
Only complete 4 note chords.
Another interesting subject besides these substition chords are secondary dominant chords. Chords that are not diatonic to the scale, but instead dominants (5th degree)ones to a diatonic chord.
This information post I wanted share what I have learned in my quite basic knowledge of chord theory. Oh and also the 3rd degree chord can often be E(7) in the key of C/Am because of the harmonic minor scale or the secondary dominant thing to Am. The first thing I think more myself likely in that case. But this thread is kept simple and only about diatonic tunes harmonization, from my part, feel free to add more complexity in it
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