C major · Modal interchange

Borrowed chords in C major

A borrowed chord comes from a scale that shares C 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 C minor: Fm and A♭.

From C Lydian

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

DII
Outside the key:
D7II7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Gmaj7Vmaj7
Outside the key:
Bmvii
Outside the key:
Bm7vii7
Outside the key:

From C Mixolydian

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

C7I7
Outside the key:
E°iii°
Outside the key:
iiiø7
Outside the key:
Gmv
Outside the key:
Gm7v7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:

From C Dorian

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

Cmi
Outside the key:
Cm7i7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
F7IV7
Outside the key:
A°vi°
Outside the key:
viø7
Outside the key:

From C Aeolian

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

D°ii°
Outside the key:
iiø7
Outside the key:
Fmiv
Outside the key:
Fm7iv7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:

From C Phrygian

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

Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
G°v°
Outside the key:
vø7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:

From C Harmonic Major

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

FmMaj7ivmaj7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
B°7vii°7
Outside the key:

From C Melodic Minor

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

CmMaj7imaj7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:

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.