Chords possess different qualities, giving them their distinctive sounds. There are five major chords often employed by composers of music.
Major chords consist of three notes – root, major third and perfect fifth – which can then be extended with additional notes to form chords of any size and complexity.
Example of this would be C major with an added sixth (written Cadd6) or major ninth, known as maj9.
Major Triads
Major triads are often the starting point of music theory studies for newcomers. Their simple structures and easy playing style offer plenty of room for experimentation within any piece of music.
Seventh chords represent an intermediate step, consisting of a major triad with a seventh interval above its root; most commonly used types include major seventh, minor seventh, and dominant seventh chords.
extended chords feature additional thirds above the seventh, such as those used in jazz music. This type of extended chord often written as a major triad with an additional sixth (C6add6 or Cmaj6) is popularly known. A major ninth can also be chosen (maj9) and a thirteenth is Cmaj13 or Cadd13. Furthermore, suspended chords exist whereby fifth is replaced with second (eg Csus2 or Gsus2).
Major Sevenths
As their name implies, seventh chords are composed of three-note triads with an added note forming an interval of a major seventh above their root note. These sevenths can be added to various triads to form various varieties of seventh chords.
Most textbooks refer to chords by their triad type and seventh type; for example, Cm7 chords consist of major triads with minor seventh overtones atop them, creating tension that’s useful in modulations techniques.
Other types of seventh chords, including minor 11, major 9, half-diminished 7, and half-diminished 7, add color and flavor to chords by moving downward chromatically or adding a diminished fifth. Another popular jazz choice is a major ninth chord composed of a major triad with an additional dominant seventh above it.
Major Seventh Chords
There are various seventh chords out there, but one of the most frequently seen ones is known as a major seventh. To create this type of chord, simply add a major seventh note (in this instance B) to any major triad root note – for instance C as its root chord would become Cmaj7 chord.
A dominant seventh chord is another popular seventh chord formation method, created by taking a major triad and adding an inverted flattened seventh note to its root; for example, to form Cmaj7 chord simply add a B to its root of C major triad.
Alternated seventh chords are less commonly heard as they require significant adjustments for them to sound good, unlike their more familiar counterparts. These chords consist of adding (b9), (#9) or (#11). However, this chord requires additional work in order for it sound proper.
Minor Triads
Minor triads feature flattened thirds and lower fifths than in major chords, so their sound differs significantly from their major cousin. Written as either “m3 m7”, or (in certain chord symbols) Cm, CM, or C.
Chord extensions add notes from the scale above a triad’s root, third, and fifth notes, such as seventh chords (9th, 13th or higher) that extend past these. You can lower or raise these chords to alter its character or make it sound fuller.
Experimenting with chords that you would not usually use can add depth and variation to your music, creating new sounds through extended and inverted chords.
Minor Seventh Chords
Seventh chords have become a standard component of modern music, appearing across genres from Renaissance and Baroque periods alike. Their presence adds depth, emotion and complexity to basic triads that form them.
Sevenths are composed of major triads with a minor seventh added above their root chord. Their characteristics remain constant across keys and they can easily be memorized.
To convert a major seventh chord into its minor version, just lower both its third and seventh notes by half step – A major 7 becomes A minor 7. This technique can also be applied to other chords for creating minor versions of them.
Musicians refer to a major chord as the combination of three or more notes which, when played simultaneously, form a triad. At its core lies a root note followed by major third and perfect fifth to form its most basic form.
Additions can be added to a major chord to extend its range and create extensions such as the ninth or thirteenth notes – which are often written CM9, C11 or C13 respectively.
Triads
Triads are simple three-note chords used as building blocks of harmony, making them easily implemented into any piece of music. Understanding them serves as the cornerstone for many other chord types; thus expanding music theory knowledge.
Musical triads consist of three notes arranged as one block on a music sheet: root note at the bottom, third above, and fifth on top – these three notes collectively are called tertian chords.
Altering the order of these notes allows you to create various triads. For instance, replacing a third with second makes for a diminished triad and fourth makes an augmented triad.
Each triad has its own sound that can influence the emotional atmosphere of a piece of music. Major triads tend to be relaxing and joyful while minor ones can evoke sadness or anxiety. Trios therefore form an integral component of harmonic progressions.
Chords are composed of scale degrees, so the types of triads you can construct depend on your key signature. For instance, in C major key you are limited to building major triads on only the first, fourth and fifth scale degrees; these diatonic triads.
Change the intervals between root and third to alter its quality; for instance, by having a major triad with a perfect fifth it will create a major chord, while diminished with perfect fifth will produce minor and dominant chords respectively. Knowing your triads’ qualities can change the emotions evoked from music so it is crucial that they are fully comprehended.
Dominant Chords
Dominant chords provide movement in tonal music by inviting movement towards resolution or progression elsewhere. This trait can be explained by their use of tritone intervals – distance between notes one step apart such as G and F that are one tritone apart – making these dominants of a major scale dominants that also serve to drive progression back toward its tonic chord. Those built between scale degrees 22 and 44 have weaker tendencies to resolve back towards it and therefore they are known as subdominant chords.
For example, in a major scale a dominant chord can be created from a root, third and fifth note combination (such as G7). To create a dominant seventh chord by adding in an extended seventh note to an existing major triad and making an extended seventh chord (annular seventh chord). Or you could substitute something like ninth or thirteenth as substitute notes and still achieve dominance such as G9 or G13 respectively.
The dominant seventh chord can be extended into ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords by further developing its base form of triads, chord progressions and cadences. Before exploring these expanded chords it is essential that one masters basic triads, chord progressions and cadences before delving deeper.
Once you have mastered these, experiment with different chord voicings available to you. Try alternating between major triad and dominant seventh, or playing a dominant seventh with either minor 7ths or diminished 7ths; knowing how to create and utilize chord voicings will enable you to build more engaging compositions.
The dominant seventh chord can also help establish modulations. When switching keys, songwriters will often use a dominant seventh chord on beat four of their first full measure as an effective means of shifting into their desired key.
Chords are collections of notes that form an overall feeling, where changing one note can alter its entire effect. Major chords consist of the first, third, and fifth notes in any scale.
Major triads can be extended to incorporate the seventh, ninth, and thirteenth notes of a scale for use as dominant chords – this is known as C9 C11 and C13 chords.
1. The root note
Root notes of chords can be easily identified using chord diagrams; their initial letter represents their foundation note, or where all subsequent notes of the chord will build from. Usually, the root note also serves as the lowest note on guitar. You can find it by looking at its chart; however, its note might not always correspond with its real position on guitar strings.
Listening is also an effective way of locating the root note of a chord. Listen to each pitch of a chord to identify its root note.
Root notes of chords do not always need to be the lowest sounding note; chord inversions allow you to switch up their positions so that another note serves as the lowest note; for instance, in first inversion of G major chord you could change it so D is its bass note while maintaining its characteristic sound of G major.
2. The major third
The Major Third is our initial interval in the scale and also forms our initial chord. A major chord can be created when three harmonizing notes combine to form a triad; this consists of the root note, Major Third, and Perfect Fifth notes; with perfect fifth being seven half steps higher than Root Note while Major Third stands four half steps below it.
The major third has a soothing, pleasant sound that conjures feelings of happiness, optimism and hope. For instance, in Classical piece ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ its opening chords begin on C and move upward to E evoking this signature uplifted feeling.
One of the great aspects of music education is learning the rules as soon as they’ve become second nature; that is why when John Legend’s All of Me switches from minor chords to major ones in its chorus, the emotion is all the greater.
3. The perfect fifth
The perfect fifth is an interval that, along with unison and octave, constitutes the most consonant group of pitches within a diatonic scale. It usually appears above the root of major chords (or triads) – one reason they sound so pleasing; you can observe its effect by looking at any chord containing C, E and G – something rock musicians refer to as power chords.
Finding a perfect fifth above any note requires counting two steps forward in the cycle of thirds; so for G, that would be 1) B, 2) D. To find one below any note you use this same technique but count backwards: for instance a five below F would be 1) D, 2) B.
4. The major triad
A major triad is comprised of the root note, major third and perfect fifth notes in any key. It is the most ubiquitous chord found within a major scale and easy to spot regardless of musical genre or style.
Other chords can also be constructed from major triads, though their characteristics depend on which scale degree is used as the starting point. For instance, C major triads can also be constructed using either its second or sixth interval for suspended chords (Csus2 and Csus4).
Triads are among the core building blocks of harmony, making an appearance in all music at some point or another. Each musician must learn about them, their various types and voicings as well as how to use them properly if playing pop or rock songs. A great way to practice major triads is creating basslines.
Chords are multi-note musical arrangements played at once. They’re easy to play, with beautiful tones that produce bright sounds.
Major chords are constructed by combining three notes into a triad: root note, major third and perfect fifth. They can be found across all major scale degrees.
Major Triads
A basic major chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes from any major scale. This chord forms the backbone of most acoustic music and may be among the first you learn to play.
Triads can be combined in different ways to form different chords. For instance, C major can be played with its 4th note playing as its 5th, or with its 7th note replacing its 3rd for augmented or diminished triads respectively.
Each triad has a distinctive quality that corresponds with its scale degree. For instance, major chords built on the second scale degree will have the quality “i,” while minor ones “mi.” This way, their identities remain constant across keys for easy recognition and rememberance. These qualities are also indicated with Roman numerals in written music notation and can help learner how to read chord symbols more efficiently.
Minor Triads
As you gain experience playing major chords, it’s also crucial that you master minor triads – they form the backbone of many musical compositions and have their own distinct sound.
A triad is an interval made up of three notes in any scale. Major triads consist of those built upon do, re, and sol (1, 4, and 5) which form major chords; these major triads are shown with capital letters representing their root notes as shown above; those built upon mi and sol have lowercase “mi” after their capital letter root while diminished or augmented triads are represented with superscript circles or plus signs ().
Triads can be used to express expressiveness and emotion through music. Minor chords often sound sadder and deeper than their major counterparts, while major triads tend to produce happier or upbeat sounds; you can hear this difference in songs such as “California Girls” by The Beach Boys.
Suspended Triads
Sus Chords (also referred to as sus2 chords or major 2nd chords) feature a third that can either be dropped or raised, often creating tension that must be resolved and sounding more open than other chords due to no major or minor third.
These chords can add the necessary extra layers and variety in any piece. Alternating back and forth between suspended chords and major or minor chords can be quite fulfilling; an example would be The Who’s “Pinball Wizard”, while in Message in a Bottle by The Police they used numerous suspended chords as part of their riff.
Any chord that contains a major third can be transformed into a suspended triad by substituting either a perfect fourth or major second with it, for instance C major could become Csus4 (with third dropped out). This technique adds great variety and interest to a riff that primarily utilizes power chords.
Extended Triads
Chord extensions can add depth and dimension to any chord progression. By including additional notes that don’t belong in the traditional major scale, chord extensions add thickness by thickening a chord by thickening its thickness. Chord extensions can take many forms; as simple as replacing the fifth note with sixth (Cm6/9) or more complex steps like adding an octave above third for an Add9 chord extension.
Extended chords are built from three-note triads with wider intervals between them, giving rise to dissonant sounds when played live.
Most chord extensions are designated with odd numbers – like 9s, 11s and 13s – as a reminder that chords are simply stacks of thirds (1 3 5 7 9 11 13). For example, a Cm13 chord can be seen as a Cm6 with an additional seventh note and flattened ninth tone added on top.
Major chords are triads composed of the first, third and fifth notes in their key – often designated with “maj” or M for easy identification.
C major is the chord used in “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, an uplifting and inspirational tune which has brought hope and positivity to listeners for decades.
Triads
Triads are the basic building blocks of chords. A triad’s quality (major, minor, diminished or augmented) is determined by its interval between root and fifth chord. Triads may also be arranged in different inversions – for instance in Example 4, there is a C major triad with its first inversion close spacing arranged as inversion 4. Triads can be identified with either capital letter at its root, lower case Roman numeral i-vii with an added circle symbol to identify its quality; duplicate members such as in Example 12 present no difficulties for identification.
Triads can be described by three notes – its root note, middle note (known as its third) and top note (called its fifth). While its letters can be rearranged slightly to create different chords, the chord remains the same when all notes from one scale have been used to compose it. There are four kinds of triads; major and minor are consonant while diminished and augmented triads may produce dissonant tones.
Inversions
Chord inversions refer to the various positions a chord can occupy. Understanding inversions is key for building chords on any instrument – from piano keys and guitar strings, all the way through other genres such as brass. An inversion occurs when one reverses an interval structure within a chord; for example inverting C Major chord (C-G-E) changes it into C-E-G-C chord.
Notably, all major intervals change when inverted; only perfect intervals remain unaltered by this transformation – for example a major third becomes a minor sixth and vice versa.
Add depth and sophistication to simple piano chords when creating music that requires more emotion and nuance, such as when writing songs with more complex lyrics. For instance, inverting a basic C Major chord and adding the major seventh interval creates the Cmaj7 chord which adds emotion and nuance. You could extend these chords further with major ninth intervals for an enhanced rich sound experience.
Major Thirds
Major and minor thirds are the core intervals that define a chord’s tone and mood. A major chord contains notes 1-5 of the major scale while minor chords have one note at each stage lowered; both consonant chords, yet their sound differences can be felt immediately and noticeably.
C Major triads feature two major thirds on the bottom and two minor thirds on top; when added with a major seventh chord it forms Cmaj7 chord, creating powerful and expressive harmony.
Major and minor triads form the building blocks for all chords. By using them to construct other chords, such as diminished ones composed of major triads with flattened 7ths (G#dim chord), powerful emotional impacts may be achieved that evoke feelings of sadness and loss. If desired, extending it further you could add major 9th chords for added chord variations such as Cmaj9 chord.
Perfect Fifths
A perfect fifth is an important interval that provides both stability and balance to music, found in major seventh chords as well as tall tertian harmonies. When played outside of its usual contexts (Pythagorean tuning or meantone temperament) however, it may sound dissonant and could even be known by another name (‘wolf fifth’).
A perfect fifth is an interval consisting of seven semitones and abbreviated as P5. It is the foundational interval used in major triad construction, as well as accompanying various melodies such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Last Post at military funerals and memorial events worldwide. Training your ears to recognise this interval will ensure it always feels relaxing when playing music; to do so effectively try playing Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water opening riff to help demonstrate. Notice that its first two notes outline an perfect fifth.
Chords are one of the building blocks of Western music. They form most songs that we hear or play, contributing significantly to why our music sounds joyful.
Start engaging your readers immediately when writing an essay or article by asking a question, using anecdotes, or making personal connections – these are all effective techniques for getting their attention right off the bat.
Triads
The most basic major chords are composed of C, E and G triads; these appear frequently across key signatures and can be constructed using the circle of fifths: starting on C we can jump three piano keys until reaching E; we then jump another two keys before reaching G.
Other chords utilize different intervals between notes: minor, dominant 7th and diminished chords have distinct tonalities that can evoke strong emotions within listeners; songs featuring these types of chords typically convey specific moods to listeners.
Chords can also be extended by adding more tones to a basic three note chord, creating tension that resolves into a major chord. A suspended triad adds the 1st, 4th and 5th tones of a scale for instance to produce tension that resolves into one major chord while seventh chords add depth and richness – these extensions are popular among jazz artists to add an added sense of complexity and emotion to their compositions.
Scale Degrees
Major chords are composed of the first, third and fifth notes in their scale of origin. You may recognize these five chords from many popular songs like Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison; on guitar they’re represented by G, C, D and E which also form the word CAGED chords.
Musicians use solfege solmization syllables notated by Arabic numerals with carets to denote scale degrees of chords, including tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant and leading tone names (with exception of natural minor scale which doesn’t have one). Scale degree names identify particular notes within scales while also impacting rhythmic feel – for instance placing dominant chords on strong beats can create an aggressive feel in your music.
Inversions
A chord may be voiced in various ways. In general, its notes above the bass note can be arranged in various vertical orders while still retaining its identity as a chord. A C major triad can be written out using any combination of notes; first inversion occurs if its bass note contains E or second inversion occurs with G as first note in its composition.
This distinction is crucial, as intervals between a chord’s upper and lower notes determine its quality. Some sources cite its third above its root as being determinative of major or minor status; this however is incorrect: all notes contribute towards its characterisation.
Bob Dylan’s song “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” employs an F major triad, in its initial inversion, as an excellent example. Simply altering the order of notes within a chord can transform its feel dramatically.
Intervals
While finding an answer may be challenging, it is worth remembering that any key contains many possible chords. This is due to how chords can be played using various techniques – inversions and voicings included. Furthermore, different intervals can also be used to create chords; whether harmonic or melodic and different sizes (determined by number of staff positions they span). Similar sized intervals can even be joined together into compound intervals; for instance a major tenth could be decomposed into two octaves plus one major third!
Each interval has its own quality. An interval that exceeds perfect or major by half step is known as an augmented interval; one that falls half step short is known as minor; their characteristics can also be altered using accidentals on its top note.
Major key chords often evoke warm and satisfying feelings. Part of the Ionian music mode, these harmonic progressions utilize pleasing intervals which interact in certain ways to form melodies that create happy associations with joyful music.
A major chord is comprised of three notes that come together to form what’s known as a triad. This includes its root note, major third note and perfect fifth.
Triads
Major chords contain only three diatonic chords which use notes from the major scale: tonic, dominant and subdominant chords. Once these have been mastered you can move onto exploring other types of chords.
7th chords are an invaluable set of chords to master. Constructed using three notes grouped in thirds and an extra note one seventh up from their root, there are various types such as minor and half diminished 7ths that must be learned and explored.
Extended chords refer to those which exceed the seventh tones of either Major or minor keys, such as those known by their names Asus2 and Esus4. Within these chords, either the third is replaced with either second or fourth; any dissonant resultant from doing this can be resolved by moving back towards its normal placement again. Learning extended chords requires some advanced knowledge but once learned they can create some very special sounds in your music.
Scale Degrees
Traditional tonal music often utilizes three chords built from each degree of the scale: tonic, dominant and subdominant chords. They provide a musical structure that supports melodies while creating a sense of resolution for them.
Major keys feature seven scale degrees (the first through seventh notes of any scale). Each one of these degrees corresponds to a chord; however, there may also be other variations available.
The tonic scale degree serves as the cornerstone of each key and serves as a homebase that other notes tend to gravitate towards.
The other scale degrees include dominant, subdominant and leading tones. Each serves a specific function in music; for example, dominant chords often create tension or drama and serve as an excellent place for harmonic modulation.
Triad Inversions
There is only a finite number of chord inversions possible with chords with more than three notes. Each note that isn’t the lowest chord tone has one possible inversion – meaning C major triad has two additional inversions besides its root position while an A7 chord features three variations and G9 chord has four inversions.
That is why it is essential to incorporate different chord inversions and voicings into your practice routine, adding variety to your chord vocabulary and providing you with additional sounds on the fretboard.
Example of Six-Four Chord
Major Keys
No matter the key of your music, all major chords begin with the same pattern of intervals. Some will remain within your key’s scale using notes from diatonic scale, while some will go beyond it using notes from chromatic.
Chord progressions composed from major scale chords tend to evoke brighter and happier feelings than those created from minor scale chords, creating either resolution or tension within the progression itself.
There are 12 major keys (including enharmonics ) and three relative minors, as well as various chords not fitting any of these categories (augmented and diminished chords for instance ). There are even more keys possible if double sharps/flats are allowed into play; though these are rarely used in practice. But that is another article for another day!
No musician can avoid being exposed to chords. Chords are an integral component of Western music and used within melodies to provide harmony and create beautiful soundscapes.
Simply speaking, a major chord consists of three notes – its root note, major third and perfect fifth. This structure is commonly known as a triad.
Keys
Songwriters tend to focus on only a handful of major chords. Chords built out of the diatonic scale of any key sound great together and are easy to work with; for example, C F G in C Major and D G A in D Major are identical progressions.
C minor seventh chords differ slightly from D major sevenths in that their notes consist of B – D – F instead of A – E, while extensions such as flatted seventh or major seventh add an extra note or two to these basic chords; typically used to form 7th chords.
To play these, all that’s necessary to learn them is memorizing their basic shapes and names – either through memorization, or learning their formulae (like 4-3 ), such as this: 4-3
Triads
Major chords consist of three notes – the root, major third and perfect fifth. They are often referred to as “mother” chords because they provide the basis of most other chord progressions.
Voice a given triad in various ways to recreate its sound; if all three sound the same chord. For instance, when playing C major chord, its notes could be played using any combination of C E G, CG or even EG; all sound great!
Extended chords extend beyond simple three note triads in that they feature one or more tones that extend past their octave root, such as flattened 7th tone.
Minor/Major 6th chords and Half-Diminished 7 are two forms of extended chords commonly found in popular music. Both contain a diminished triad on their bottom note with a major 6th above, making this chord popular as an alternative to Major 7th chords.
Inversions
Based on a chord’s shape and notes contained within, you can alter its sound by switching up its components – known as inversion.
Chord inversions help make chord progressions sound smooth/fluid and easier to play, while altering the feel of each chord slightly and heightening emotion in music.
Example 1: C major chord in its root position can be altered into its first inversion by shifting its bottom note up an octave for C F A; this creates a different feel while altering its bass note sound.
Inversions are represented by writing the name of a chord followed by an forward slash and its bass note; for instance C/E. Learning inversions will help expand your chord vocabulary and gain a better grasp on fretboard layout – also making composition simpler!
Scales
A major scale consists of seven notes (with or without sharps and flats added as necessary). Each note in a major scale is known as a scale degree; chords may be built using them all.
Common chords include triads, which consist of the root note, third note and fifth note from any scale. Triads play an essential part of music composition and should always be included when possible.
Most songs feature an intricate progression of chords that allows listeners to experience various emotions as the song progresses.
Chords can often be written using symbols representing an augmented (a), diminished (b), and slash symbols (). A major scale consists of CDEFGABC notes; thus these symbols can represent different kinds of scales.