Music Theory: Scales, Chords and Keys for Producers
Learn how scales, chord progressions and harmonic keys help you write musical ideas that fit together.
Notes, intervals and scales
A scale is a family of notes with predictable relationships. The natural minor scale follows whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole steps; C major and A minor share the same white notes but feel different because their tonal centers differ.
Build chords and basslines that belong
Start with a root, third and fifth for a triad. In A minor, A–C–E is the tonic triad; a bassline emphasizing A anchors that chord. Choose chord notes for strong beats and passing notes for movement.
Practice with a keyboard
Choose an Instrument sound in SoundCode. Play A, C and E together, record the phrase, then test different bass roots underneath in Session. Stay within a scale as a starting point—not as a restriction.