Resource 11 of 14Book 1
QR-B1-011
Diatonic Chord Family System
Harmonic Understanding5–7 min
Objective
Connect the Major scale to its seven diatonic triads.
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Focus
“A scale is not only notes. It already contains a family of seven chords.”
Decode
- 01The quality pattern: Major – minor – minor – Major – Major – minor – diminished.
- 02Arabic labelling: 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5, 6m, 7dim.
- 03Roman labelling: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°.
- 04Worked families in C, G, F, D and Bb.
- 05The 5 → 1 movement as your first harmonic anchor.
- 06Degree 7 is a diminished triad built on scale degree 7.
Key Idea
Major – minor – minor – Major – Major – minor – diminished.
- Arabic: 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5, 6m, 7dim.
- Roman: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°.
Practise Now
- 01Build one full seven-chord diatonic family in a key of your choice.
- 02Play 5 → 1 in that key until the resolution is obvious to your ear.
What you should be able to do
You can derive all seven diatonic triads from a Major scale and label them in Arabic and Roman form.
Return to the Book
Student Handbook — Chapter 13
Close the resource, return to this page in the book and practise the pattern.