Major chords form the backbone of many popular songs. For example, Let It Be by The Beatles opens with a C major chord as its opening chord.
A major chord is composed of three notes that are stacked one upon another; the distance between them is known as an interval.
Root Position
Each major chord is composed of three notes and can be played at various octaves; these variations are known as inversions.
Root of any major chord. Middle note is known as third and top note is known as fifth; each note in between them always makes four half steps or a major third of an interval, regardless of key.
This chart displays the tonic triads for every major key, starting with C, E and G in root position. Every chord can also be played at various octaves for more variety and sound; plus there are other chords such as Maj 7th chord that you might encounter along your musical journey!
First Inversion
Inversions enable us to move fluidly between chords without making sudden leaps up or down the piano, making for an effortless progression from C Major in root position to A Minor 1st Inversion in 1 finger shift whereas going directly from normal C chord to its suspended fourth version (C-E-G) would require five fingers of movement on your left hand! Whether or not we utilize inversions is ultimately down to personal taste and style; whether we employ inversions can vary greatly between artists.
When starting to learn chords, practice playing them in their first inversion before moving on to the next octave up or down on the keyboard. By repeating this pattern until it becomes second nature to you, adding another dimension of emotion to your songs!
Second Inversion
To create a second inversion of a chord, simply switch around its notes – for instance in C major, when switching out bottom note for E and moving third up into its original place on top.
Inversions can be created for any major chord. They are sometimes represented with an abbreviation containing the bass note name (for instance G/2) but this practice is less frequently seen.
Other inversions may feature numbers written after the chord symbol to indicate intervals from its root. To count up one whole tone or half-tone on your piano keyboard, move your first finger of your right hand to any white or black key and count up by moving second finger down one key; to count up two half-tones do both simultaneously on different keys on keyboard.
Third Inversion
For a third inversion of a major chord, simply raise its lowest note by one octave – this enables your fingers to remain on one spot of the keyboard when switching chords without making large leaps across it.
Inversions also help the chord transitions sound smoother and less abrupt to the ear. Moving from C major in root position to A minor would require making an awkward finger movement, while switching inversions only requires one shift of one finger.
A minor in the second inversion can be played using A-C-E. You could also opt for the Cmaj7 chord which simply adds one major third above it: C, E and G.
Fifth Inversion
A major chord consists of three notes known as the root, third, and fifth notes – known respectively as its lowest note, four half steps above it, and seven half steps higher. This formula works across any major scale – no matter which note is chosen as its base note for its root note – the chord will sound exactly the same!
By shifting the bottom note up an octave, you will form the first inversion of the chord; by moving the top note up an octave you will create its second inversion; this is how major triad chords such as G/D or A/C# can be formed.