E major · Modal interchange

Borrowed chords in E major

A borrowed chord comes from a scale that shares E 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 E minor: C and Am.

From E Lydian

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

vii
Outside the key:
vii7
Outside the key:
II
Outside the key:
II7
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Outside the key:
Bmaj7Vmaj7
Outside the key:

From E Mixolydian

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

D
Outside the key: D
Dmaj7
Outside the key: D
E7I7
Outside the key: D
iii°
Outside the key: D
iiiø7
Outside the key: D
Bmv
Outside the key: D
Bm7v7
Outside the key: D

From E Dorian

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

vi°
Outside the key: G
viø7
Outside the key: G
Emi
E G B
Outside the key: G
Em7i7
E G B D
Outside the key: G D
G
G B D
Outside the key: G D
Gmaj7
Outside the key: G D
A7IV7
Outside the key: G

From E Aeolian

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

C
C E G
Outside the key: C G
Cmaj7
C E G B
Outside the key: C G
D7
Outside the key: D C
ii°
Outside the key: C
iiø7
Outside the key: C
Amiv
A C E
Outside the key: C
Am7iv7
A C E G
Outside the key: C G

From E Phrygian

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

Dm
D F A
Outside the key: D F
Dm7
D F A C
Outside the key: D 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 D F
B°v°
B D F
Outside the key: D F
vø7
B D F A
Outside the key: D F

From E Harmonic Major

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

C+
Outside the key: C
Outside the key: C
vii°7
Outside the key: C
AmMaj7ivmaj7
Outside the key: C

From E Melodic Minor

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

EmMaj7imaj7
Outside the key: G
G+
Outside the key: G
Outside the key: G

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.