There’s an easy-to-learn pattern you can learn that allows you to build major chords from any note.
To create a minor chord, simply shift the third interval down one piano key – this gives it a darker and melancholic sound than its major equivalent.
Root Note
Root notes of chords serve to determine their major or minor qualities; C and G being respectively the major and minor roots respectively.
Next comes its third note; usually an interval of two whole steps away from its root note. Finally, fifth will complete this perfect five-tone chord progression.
Chords may also contain fourth, sixth or augmented tones which produce different sounds and harmonies when used in songs. Each has unique sounds and harmonies and are usually notated using root note, roman numeral quality indicator and symbol to show any alterations if any are present; additionally this notation also indicates the key of the chord, by highlighting or marking piano keys which should be pressed for its playback.
Major Third
Beginners quickly notice when looking at a keyboard or piano that its array of black and white keys produces distinctive sounds when struck. A chord, however, consists of at least three notes played simultaneously to produce sounds when strung together – it should therefore not be confused with chordal progressions which contain at least five notes each.
Major chords are triads composed of the first, third and fifth tones in any major scale or key of music. Minor chords follow this same structure but include an additional minor third tone; meaning the root note remains constant while both third and fifth tones change to minor tones from those found in its Major counterpart.
Major intervals span two whole steps (or semi-tones), making them one half step wider than minor ones. So if you move from C to E you’ve gone up four semi-tone steps (four whole steps). That is why it is easier to learn major chords than minor chords.
Minor Third
The minor third is an interval of three semitones and is one of the primary tones that determine whether a chord is major or minor. Additionally, this interval can create beautiful single note lines – just think of “Greensleeves” or “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”.
Minor chords use the same roots and major third as their foundation, with an added minor third between its second and fifth notes adding its distinctive tensioned, melancholy tone. They’re particularly useful for building harmonic progressions because their dramatic tension creates more dramatic tension than simply adding major thirds would.
Minor chords, more commonly referred to as Cm, are sometimes written as an abbreviated m3 or Mn, although more frequently they’re simply called that. A key tip for recognizing Cm chords is keeping in mind that their root note (C) always remains constant; any time C is written next to an interval symbol (for instance R + 3HS or R + 4 HS), it indicates the same interval.
Perfect Fifth
Musicians refer to a “perfect fifth” as an interval spanning seven semitones or half steps on the chromatic scale; its name derives from Pythagorean whole number ratio 3/2. Perfect fifths sound very consonant and serve as an excellent starting point for chord progressions in almost all genres of music, including Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by William Shakespeare as well as Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra from 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as Harold Arlen’s Soldiers March (O-Ee-Oh-Yo!).
Recognizing musical intervals can help you learn songs more quickly. A non-perfect fifth would feature accidentals on both notes that don’t match, such as one note having flats while the other has sharps, for instance. Recognizing when an interval isn’t ideal can also speed up reading sheet music faster.