Guitar chords are groups of three or more notes that work together to support melodies. Chords consist of harmonic tones (chord tones) and non-harmonic tones (non-chord tones).
Guitarists commonly employ the major scale method when it comes to creating chords. This scale contains various intervals that can help form different triads.
Triads
A chord is composed of three notes that sound simultaneously. Triads are specific types of chords composed of three pitches that sound simultaneously; for example, C-E-G comprises a root note (C), major third (E) and perfect fifth (G).
Triads can be constructed starting on any note in the scale. Triads beginning on the tonic note of a scale are considered major while those beginning elsewhere are minor.
Understanding triads is key to grasping chord progressions and harmonic functions. Experiment by playing different shapes of triads with your chords and arpeggios, listening to how their sound changes and functions in songs. Major triads tend to sound full and resolved while minor ones have droopier, less vibrant tones while diminished ones produce discordant, unsettling sound due to their flattened fifth.
Major and Minor Chords
While most chords you have learned so far are major scale chords, there are other kinds of chords known as modal chords which use minor scales instead and are used to create more interesting musical melodies.
Many songs use both major and minor chords when crafting their compositions, as certain genres require specific moods or vibes that shifting its key can bring out.
To create a major chord, simply play the first, third and fifth notes from a major scale in succession. A major and minor chord can be differentiated by altering their third note to make them minor chords instead.
Major and minor triads often include a perfect fifth interval to increase chord density; however, this interval can be left out and still sound identical; you can see this by looking at a diagram of a major scale with its respective triads.
Major and Minor Scales
Beginners to chords and scales may find it daunting at first. There are so many notes and chords to remember and it is necessary to understand their meaning in order to fully grasp the system.
One of the key concepts in music theory is understanding that scales and chords follow a pattern; you will come to associate these patterns with music itself over time as you learn.
Intervals between its notes are key components of any scale or chord, and there are two types: whole steps and half steps. Whole steps feature sharp or flat notes between their notes while half steps do not.
Major and minor scales each follow an interval pattern that gives them their distinct sounds, with minor scales having only minor differences: their third note in minor scales usually sounds darker. This gives major-sounding scales and chords their brighter and cheerier sound while those from minor-sounding scales and chords possessing darker and sadder tones.
Chord Progression
A chord progression is the linear succession of chords that constitute the harmony of a song. While its order may differ depending on genre or artist preferences, most music relies on certain basic progressions for starting songs; an I-IV-V chord progression often creates tension and release that is well suited for most genres.
To create a chord progression, it’s essential that you master the fundamentals of your key’s major scale and be familiar with its symbols for each chord – diminished chords for instance are typically notated with lowercase letters and an additional circle to differentiate them from triads; major chords have the additional distinction of having their name followed by “major”.
Though every song offers infinite chord progression possibilities, it is beneficial to familiarize yourself with some basic ones. Doing so will make deciphering any song much simpler!