Chords are composed of interlocked intervals, usually comprising ascending thirds (or more). A Major chord consists of three such intervals: Unison, Major 3rd and Perfect 5th.
A third is defined as the distance between two consecutive scale notes up or down in pitch, usually succeeding 95% of the time; with one notable exception: diminished chords which feature two minor thirds stacked into their structure.
A Major Chord
Chords typically consist of three or more pitches, but certain styles of music – like jazz – often use chords consisting of more than three notes.
A major chord is composed of the first, third, and fifth notes in its scale as well as an octave – that same note played higher up on an octave scale – to differentiate it from a minor chord. This octave marks what differentiates one from the other.
B Major Chord
B major is a major chord composed of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes from the B major scale, commonly found in popular songs like Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.
An effective way to practice this chord is to take any open A shape and shift it up two frets for a B major chord – this will provide an entirely different fingering and sound!
C Major Chord
Major chords form the cornerstone of many songs. Their construction consists of three interlinked triads that contain notes one, three, four and five of any major scale.
Each major triad can be inverted in various ways to produce different chord voicings; this process is known as inversion.
A major seventh chord takes a major triad and adds its seventh degree from the scale, although in jazz this often extends further, to include 9, 11, or 13th degrees of its scale.
D Major Chord
D major is one of the basic major chords and is sometimes known as the cowboy chord. It can be played using barre chords or with open strings; however, most commonly played as an open D chord.
To play a D major chord, start by positioning your thumb on the D note and counting four keys away (white and black keys both count) towards the right until reaching four keys from there – placing your second finger there.
E Major Chord
From iconic rock riffs to one of the earliest songs ever written, E major chord has long been an indispensable staple in various genres and music traditions. Furthermore, its easy playing techniques make it one of the go-to chords!
E major chords consist of three notes – E, G# and B. However, there are various variations on this basic formula; you could use suspended 4ths or 2nds to create suspended chords.
F Major Chord
F major chord is one of the most vital to master, appearing on many classic songs across every genre and decade.
It requires you to barre the first fret with your index finger before adding your ring, middle, and pinky fingers. There are numerous chord extensions possible when starting from this shape such as F sus 4, F add 9 chord extensions etc.
G Major Chord
G Major Chord (I) in G: This chord is built from G scale notes and functions as the tonic chord in G key, comprising three notes G, B and D.
Beginners learning lute-based instruments like the ukulele or guitar may initially discover this chord, which should be practiced strumming for four beats before moving on.
H Major Chord
Major chords feature seven tones; these tones correspond to their positions in the scale. For instance, C chords consist of C, E and G notes and may be written out as C maj 7.
These three notes can be combined or “voiced” into any order and still produce a C major chord, and may even feature additional extension notes such as 9th, 11th or 13th chords.
I Major Chord
Major chords are a cornerstone of most chord progressions, evoking feelings of optimism and hopefulness. But they can also be used to tell different stories or express different emotions depending on what precedes it.
Major chords consist of three parts – root, major third and perfect fifth – which form a triad. This rule applies in all key signatures. A popular type of major chord is known as C maj 7 or CM7.
J Major Chord
A major seventh chord adds the eighth note from the scale to a standard major chord pattern, while major-sixth chords add the sixth note to their repertoire.
Major chords are only the tip of the iceberg! There are so many variations and options when it comes to major chords that you could spend years learning them all! But don’t get stuck there; move onto chord progressions and cadences instead.