All major chords consist of three elements – a root, major third and perfect fifth – so to play a C major chord you start from its root (C), move three black keys over to E for the major third before shifting again two keys over for its perfect fifth at G.
Triads
Triad chords form the fundamental building block of any chord, consisting of three alternate notes from the major scale stacked a third apart and then joined. Triads are colloquially known as being “stacked in 3rds.”
A triad is composed of three notes; its lowest note, known as the root; its middle note referred to as third; and its highest note known as fifth; the interval heard between these notes determines whether it is major or minor in nature.
Triad notes can be played together or divided up through doubling or spacing, as long as their roots, thirds, and fifths remain the same. Doubling or spacing does not alter its identification due to octave equivalence (Example 12a); simply moving one note around can result in inversion triads; for instance placing one inversion third into bass results in first inversion while placing second inversion fifth directly creates two inversion triads (See Example 12c).
Major Thirds
Major third intervals are always four frets or two whole tones above the root note and considered ideal intervals due to their consonance and resolution properties. They’re also commonly found within chord structures.
Minor intervals contain one less half step than major ones. For instance, C to E is considered a major third while E to G constitutes a minor third due to major intervals containing four half steps and minor ones only three.
Add an extra step with a seventh, creating a major seventh chord by taking any triad (root, third and fifth in any scale) and adding an eighth interval above it to create the chord C-E-G-B. Just about any triad in any scale can be built into major seventh chord by simply adding an eighth above its root; although in rare instances root may be left out; usually this must be specified beforehand.
Major Fifths
Major chords consist of three components – a root note, major or minor third note and perfect fifth – which can be created starting from any note on the fretboard. When assembled vertically they create various chord inversions; for instance, building a C major chord using notes C – E – G in any order will result in first inversion triad while placing E in its place in bass creates second inversion triad.
The interval of a seventh plays an integral part in defining what type of chord will be formed, from major 7th chords with major triads and major seventh intervals from their roots, to minor 7ths featuring minor triads and minor seventh intervals from their roots. Another interesting way of creating chords involves open fifths (also called bare fifths). These have an engaging sound that many composers favor for ending pieces of music.
Minor Thirds
The minor third interval encompasses three half steps or semitones and is sometimes known as the minor second.
Musically speaking, the minor third has an audible sound that often creates an eerie or melancholic tone. It plays an integral part in building minor chords and tonality within compositions.
Minor thirds, like major thirds, can be formed from the root of a chord and stacked upon one another to form various types of minor chords. For instance, D minor can be created by stacking D, F and A on top of one another.
Alternately, another approach for creating minor chords involves raising the pitch of the perfect fifth interval of a major triad by one semitone – this approach often used when creating augmented and diminished chords as well. Note however that doing this may alter both its tone as well as key of playback.