Major chords are considered to be “happy” chords of music, bringing happiness and lightness to any song they appear in. Like all chords, they’re formed from three-note triads.
Triads are made up of three consecutive notes spaced by one third. For example, in G major, a triad is composed of the root note with E sitting above it as major third and G being perfect fifth above.
Triads
Triadic chords form the cornerstone of melodies and harmonies. Their buoyant sound gives music its sunshine feel, making them essential to many genres of music.
Each major scale contains its own set of notes that make up its chords; for instance, C major triad includes its root note, third note, and fifth note of its scale.
Triads used in harmonic analysis or lead sheets can be represented using their letter name and an indication of its quality; for instance, an A major first degree triad built using C major is typically written as C, CM or CD.
Note when playing triads that the intervals between their individual notes must always be whole steps. For instance, from C to E is considered a major third, while between F and G would be minor (3 semitones). This rule out certain intervals such as augmented (5 half-steps) or diminished (7 semitones). Thus illustrating why it’s so crucial to understand the circle of fifths.
Scales
Understanding intervals and chord voicings are two fundamental concepts in music theory; understanding them allows you to compose or modify any major scale with greater ease.
As shown by the diagram below, when building a triad by selecting three alternate notes from the scale, its intervals become further apart as you ascend or descend the scale – this allows you to move a triad up or down in pitch to alter its sound.
Important to keep in mind when playing in any key is the fact that when using specific scales there are rules regarding the addition of sharps or flats – known as key of song rules – which must be observed. Knowing these is essential when it comes to composition or improvisation.
Intervals
Intervals are spaces between notes that are named based on their size – such as third or sixth intervals. Any interval larger than an octave is known as a compound interval and classified by either major or minor qualities.
Understanding the difference between these two intervals is key to creating harmony – their quality will determine exactly which chord they create, with minor intervals typically sounding darker or somber than major intervals.
As soon as a major or perfect interval is reduced by one half-step, it becomes diminished or minor interval. For example, in Example 7a’s first measure the perfect fifth F-C is reduced by half step to form a diminished sixth (or d5 or o5) that still has the same number of inclusive staff positions or diatonic scale degrees as its original form since interval numbers always start from the lower pitch rather than from the higher one.
Scale Modifiers
Some intervals within a major scale may be divided into whole steps while others consist of half steps; for example, between C and E is one whole step while B and the keynote C in Example 6-2 represents half steps.
Chords can be created by adding two or three distinct pitches together. They may also consist of one note with its minor third or perfect fifth added on top – for instance, G major chord is composed of this root note plus minor third and perfect fifth above it.
Vocalizing a chord determines its major, minor or diminished identity. For instance, a dominant 7th chord contains three major triads and one minor 7th above its root note, while half diminished chords contain only diminished triads with minor 7ths below it.