Download CREATING CHORDS

NAME:
CHORDS
Room#:
1. Here are the letter names of a C scale with the C major chord pitches circled. Draw a square
around the pitches needed for a D chord. Do you notice a pattern?
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
2. Play each of these chords on a keyboard using only the white keys. Write whether the chord
is major or minor next to its letter name.
c-e-g
d-f-a
e-g-b
f-a-c
g-b-d
a-c-e
3. Plan a pattern of eight chords and write it on the lines below. You
must start AND end with a C chord. You do not have to use all of the
chords and you may repeat chords if you’d like.
C
C
Play your chord pattern on a keyboard. Make changes in your chord plan to make it sound
better until you create one that sounds just right.
TREBLE CLEF REFERENCE STAFF
BASS CLEF REFERENCE STAFF
CHORD COMPOSITION DIRECTIONS
Put your chord progression on the music staff using Finale NotePad.
1. Decide if you want your chords to be in the treble clef or bass clef.
2. Open the Finale Notepad file called chord_bass or chord_treble and save it to your server
folder by renaming with your room# & name like this 217JudyChord.
3. Using whole notes, put your pattern of chords on the staff you decided on earlier.
4. Remember if you need to move a note you have just placed on the staff, instead of using
the eraser, you may simply use the left arrow key to make the note pink, and then the up
and down arrows to move it where you want it to be.
5. Listen to your piece to see if there are any chords you want to change. If so, make the
change now using the eraser tool.
6. ADVANCED: Consider changing the rhythm of some of your measures from a whole
note to half or quarter notes. To do this, choose the half or quarter note and click on top
of the whole note chord on the staff, then add more of the same chord with that rhythm.
Now write a melody to play along with your harmony.
1. Place whole, half, quarter or eighth notes on the treble clef staff being sure that you have
a total of four beats in each measure. For this project, it would best not to use any rests.
2. Your melody will sound best if most of the pitches in each measure have the same letter
names as the names of the notes in your chord for that measure. Use the other side of this
sheet as a reference for what pitches are in each chord and also the names of the notes on
the music staff using the Reference Staff at the bottom of the page.
3. You may find it is easiest to start your melody by focusing only on the rhythm. Put all of
your melody notes on the same pitch as the name of the chord in each measure. You can
move them later using the arrow keys to make your melody more interesting.
4. Keep moving the notes in your melody until you’re happy with how it sounds.
Be sure to put your name on your chord composition and give your new song a title
that fits the way it sounds.
If you are finished:
1. Get a keyboard and practice playing your composition. Start with just the chords. Use
your left hand if your chords are in the bass clef and your right hand if your chords in the
treble clef. Then add your melody with the other hand.
2. Consider getting a friend to learn your chord pattern so that you can play another
instrument such as recorder, flute, violin etc. If you play clarinet or trumpet,
ask Ms. Hays to transpose your melody line for you 
3. Check that you have earned all 100 possible points:




Begins & ends on C chord
Each measure has a chord
Chords are in root position
2 or more different chords
are used
 Some chords are not
whole notes
 There is a melody
 Melody is complete
 Most melody pitches are
from the chord used
 Student name is on top
 There is a new title