A major · Modal interchange

Borrowed chords in A major

A borrowed chord comes from a scale that shares A major's tonic but not all of its notes. Across the seven parallel scales close enough to borrow from, there are 42 chords to borrow. The ones heard most come from A minor: Dm and F.

From A Lydian

A Lydian shares 6 of its 7 notes with A major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Emaj7Vmaj7
Outside the key:
vii
Outside the key:
vii7
Outside the key:
BII
Outside the key:
B7II7
Outside the key:

From A Mixolydian

A Mixolydian shares 6 of its 7 notes with A major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

iii°
Outside the key: G
iiiø7
Outside the key: G
Emv
E G B
Outside the key: G
Em7v7
E G B D
Outside the key: G
G
G B D
Outside the key: G
Gmaj7
Outside the key: G
A7I7
Outside the key: G

From A Dorian

A Dorian shares 5 of its 7 notes with A major. Two notes apart: a clear change of colour without leaving home.

C
C E G
Outside the key: C G
Cmaj7
C E G B
Outside the key: C G
D7IV7
Outside the key: C
vi°
Outside the key: C
viø7
Outside the key: C
Ami
A C E
Outside the key: C
Am7i7
A C E G
Outside the key: C G

From A Aeolian

A Aeolian shares 4 of its 7 notes with A major. Further away, so these chords sound darker or stranger against the key.

Dmiv
D F A
Outside the key: F
Dm7iv7
D F A C
Outside the key: F C
F
F A C
Outside the key: F C
Fmaj7
F A C E
Outside the key: F C
G7
G B D F
Outside the key: G F
B°ii°
B D F
Outside the key: F
iiø7
B D F A
Outside the key: F

From A Phrygian

A Phrygian shares 3 of its 7 notes with A major. Further away, so these chords sound darker or stranger against the key.

C7
Outside the key:
E°v°
Outside the key:
vø7
Outside the key:
Gm
Outside the key:
Gm7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:

From A Harmonic Major

A Harmonic Major shares 6 of its 7 notes with A major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

DmMaj7ivmaj7
Outside the key: F
F+
Outside the key: F
Outside the key: F
vii°7
Outside the key: F

From A Melodic Minor

A Melodic Minor shares 6 of its 7 notes with A major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

C+
Outside the key: C
Outside the key: C
AmMaj7imaj7
Outside the key: C

How borrowed chords sound

A borrowed chord keeps the tonic and changes the colour. The note it brings in is a note of the parallel scale, so the ear hears the same home with a different light on it. The minor iv and the flat VI are the classic examples: the moment a major key turns wistful without going anywhere.

In the app, section 2 teaches modal mixture: naming borrowed chords, hearing the borrowed colour, and where mixture sits on the tonic, subdominant and dominant axis.