[OC] Had a massive theory breakthrough today: knowing every chord tone of every chord is as easy as first grade math.

(If you are very new to intervals it may help to have this open while reading)

So everybody knows root, third, fifth is how you build a chord. 1-3-5.

If you think about “1-3-5” just as a number pattern where you’re adding 2 each time, it gives you the chord tones of every chord in the scale.

For example, the 4 chord is just 4-6-8.

The 3 chord is just 3-5-7.

6 chord? You guessed it, 6-8-10 (aka 6-1-3)

This makes it so you can instantly know how to target chord tones for any chord in the key, while still thinking in terms of the major scale shape you’re playing in.

To build on this further, what about other intervals? How would you know the “6th of the 2 chord?” That’s also basic math, just add them together and subtract 1.

6 + 2 – 1 = 7