How to Build Chords From a Scale (With MIDI Files)

Here is how to build chords from a scale: start on any note of the scale and stack every other note on top of it (root, third and fifth), using only notes from that scale. Doing this from each of the seven notes gives you the seven diatonic chords of the key, the chords that naturally fit together. The free chord and scale reference shows the notes, intervals, piano keys, guitar shapes and MIDI numbers for any chord or scale, and lets you download it as a MIDI file.

Step 1: Write out the scale

Pick your key and list the seven notes, numbering them 1 to 7. In C major:

Degree	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Note	C	D	E	F	G	A	B

Not sure what key your song is in? Our guide on how to find the key of a song walks through it.

Step 2: Stack thirds on each note

Take a scale note, skip one, take the next, skip one, take the next. From C you get C, E and G. From D you get D, F and A. Continue up the scale, wrapping round to the start when you run out of notes. Each result is a triad: a root, a third and a fifth.

Step 3: Name each chord by its intervals

The quality of each triad depends on the distance in semitones between its notes:

• Major: 4 semitones from root to third, 7 from root to fifth.
• Minor: 3 semitones to the third, 7 to the fifth.
• Diminished: 3 semitones to the third, 6 to the fifth.

The chord and scale reference shows the intervals and semitone counts for every chord, so you can check your spelling as you go.

The diatonic chords of a major key

Every major key follows the same pattern of qualities: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. Roman numerals show it, with upper case for major and lower case for minor:

Degree	I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
C major	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	Bdim
G major	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F#dim
F major	F	Gm	Am	Bb	C	Dm	Edim

The diatonic chords of a natural minor key

A natural minor key uses the same notes as its relative major, starting from the sixth degree, so the pattern shifts: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major.

Degree	i	ii°	III	iv	v	VI	VII
A minor	Am	Bdim	C	Dm	Em	F	G

Many songs in minor keys raise the seventh note to make the v chord major (E instead of Em in A minor), which gives a stronger pull back home. That raised note comes from the harmonic minor scale, one of the scales you can view in the reference.

Step 4: Add sevenths for richer chords

Stack one more third on top and each triad becomes a seventh chord. In C major: Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7 and Bm7♭5. Seventh chords sound smoother and jazzier, and they are common in R&B, neo-soul, lo-fi and house. The reference covers 7th, maj7, m7, 6th, 9th, sus2, sus4, diminished and augmented chords, so you can compare their colours.

Step 5: Get the chords into your DAW

1. Open the chord and scale reference and choose Chords.
2. Pick the root note and the chord type.
3. Check the correctly spelled notes, the MIDI note numbers and the keys on the piano diagram, or the guitar chord shapes if you play guitar.
4. Press Download MIDI for a standard MIDI file containing a one-bar chord block.
5. Drag it into any DAW and copy it to the bars you need.

Switch to Scales to download the scale going up to the octave, a handy guide track for writing melodies. The MIDI files use the standard where middle C (C4) is note 60; some DAWs label that note C3, but the pitch is the same.

Chords from modes

The same stacking method works on any seven-note scale, including the modes. Each mode is a major scale started from a different degree, so it has its own pattern of chord qualities and its own character:

• Dorian (D to D using C major’s notes) has a minor home chord but a major IV chord, giving minor songs a brighter, soulful lift. In D Dorian the chords include Dm and G.
• Mixolydian (G to G) has a major home chord with a flat seventh, so the chord a whole step below home is major. In G Mixolydian that is F, a sound common in rock and funk.
• Lydian (F to F) has a major II chord, which gives a floating, dreamy feel often heard in film music.

Choose Scales in the reference to view every mode with its notes and intervals, then stack thirds exactly as you did for the major scale.

Voicing and inversions

The notes of a chord do not have to be played in root position. Moving the lowest note up an octave gives an inversion: C, E, G becomes E, G, C. Inversions let you move between chords with smaller hand or note movements, which sounds smoother and keeps parts in a comfortable range. When you drag a downloaded chord into your DAW, try shifting individual notes up or down an octave to find the voicing that fits your arrangement.

Worked example: a progression from the scale

In C major, the chords I, V, vi and IV give C, G, Am and F, one of the most used progressions in pop. Because all four come from the same scale, they share notes and move smoothly. Swap the vi for a ii (Dm) for a softer feel, or replace G with G7 for a stronger pull back to C. To audition more combinations quickly, try the chord progression generator, and read how to make chords for voicing tips.

Why spelling matters

Each scale uses every letter name once. That is why F# major contains E# rather than F: the seventh note must be some kind of E. Correct spelling makes chord names consistent and stops theory from getting confusing in sharp and flat keys. The reference spells every chord and scale this way.

Common mistakes

• Using notes from outside the scale by accident. Count from the scale, not from the chromatic keyboard.
• Forgetting the diminished chord. vii° in major and ii° in minor sound tense; use them as passing chords.
• Mixing up relative keys. C major and A minor share chords; the home chord decides the key.
• Ignoring octave labels. If a MIDI file seems an octave off, check whether your DAW calls middle C “C3”.
• Stopping at triads. Sevenths and suspended chords add colour from the same scale.

FAQ

Go deeper with our music theory guide and the overview of diatonic harmony. Pick a key and build your first set of chords in the free chord and scale reference.