For this project, you are going to:

• create a drumbeat (can be one you used before) 

• Use the given chord progression to record all chords in root position

• Create a bass line that follows our bass line rules (and includes at least one octave jump and one leading tone). 

Now that we've built some chord progressions for our bass lines, let's learn how to actually build the chords! We'll be working with diatonic chords, which are chords that occur naturally within in a scale (in our case, C major).

Each note in a scale has a chord associated with it that is identified by its letter name and quality. There are three qualities in a major scale that follow a pattern shown with Roman Numerals: major is capital, minor is lower case, and diminished is lower case with a degree symbol. Chords that come from the scale are called diatonic chords.

All chords are composed of at least three unique pitches. These three notes are the root, the third, and the fifth.

• The root, which is the lowest note of the triad, is the same letter as the name of the chord. 

• The third and fifth of the chord are counted up from the root. 

Each note in a triad is called a chord tone.

Up until now, all of the chords we are building are in what is called root position, where the root of the chord is the bottoms of the note. 

Triads can be re-ordered by moving a chord tone from the bottom voice to the top in a process called inversion. The chart below shows the location of the chord tones in a root position, first inversion, and second inversion "closed voiced" triad.

IMPORTANT: When you invert a chord, it retains the name of the root note. Each of the chords listed above is still a D minor chord, even though the "bottom note" (aka bass note) changes.

Playing chords in root position is relatively simple, especially in C major, as we'll be using the same hand position and fingering for each chord.

For this example, I want to play an F major chord. The process is this:

1. Place your thumb on the root note. In this case, that would be F.

2. Your fingers should naturally fall on the next four notes up the keyboard. Make sure not to skip any keys. 

3. To find the third of the chord, it will the the third note up from the root (counting the root as the first note.) This note will be A, and should already be under your middle finger.

4. To find the fifth of the chord, it will the the fifth note up from the root (counting the root as the first note.) This note will be C, and should already be under your pinky finger.

You can use this method to find any of the seven diatonic chords in C major.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ORGANIZER FOR PROJECT 4.1

In this project, you are given a chord progression. Your assignment is to do the following:

1. Compose and record four measures of a drum groove. 

2. Create bass lines for each chord. Keep these things in mind:

   1. The bass line should be related to the kick drum.

   2. Don't forget about our new octave jumps and leading tones!

   3. The bass line rhythm can be slightly different in each measure to add some variety.

3. Figure out the chords

   1. Use the chart at the top of this webpage to figure out which chords relate to the given roman numerals.

   2. Spell the chords in the space provided below, from the bottom up 

4. Record the chord progression.

   1. Create a new instrument and choose a keyboard instrument (the standard electric piano is fine)

   2. Record the chords so that they sustain for an entire measure. 

   3. QUANTIZE!

When you have finished, upload your completed project to Schoology.