A chord is defined as any grouping of pitches that lasts the same amount of time in music. While most chords contain three or four notes, jazz styles may call for chords with five or even six notes to create chords with greater emotional impact.
Major chords typically feature what’s known as a triad, consisting of the root note, major third, and perfect fifth stacked together. There are numerous variations on these chords which give them their unique qualities.
The Root
If you’re new to chords, major triads will likely be among the first you encounter. They consist of three notes stacked atop each other: root note (the bottom chord), major third, and perfect fifth stacked on top. They’re easy for beginning players and offer great sound.
But major chords don’t stop at simply sounding major – many genres of music use variations on them with extensions like seventh and ninth interval chord extensions to add color and tension to their progressions. Jazz music in particular often uses this technique effectively.
This is also how 7th, 9th and 13th chords based on major triads but consisting of more than three basic notes are formed – making the major scale an incredibly flexible musical tool that enables musicians to compose chords, melodies and cadences from just a few basic building blocks.
The Major Third
Thirds are one of the more captivating intervals to experiment with on the fretboard. A major third is composed of two whole steps, while minor thirds consist of one-and-a-half steps – try it on your keyboard: C to D is a major third while D to E constitutes a minor third.
Major and minor triads are an excellent way to break out of a scale-only mindset; their sound more resembles melodies than just scales running up and down the fretboard.
Triads (three-note chords, also called triads) are composed of major and minor intervals; this holds true across all keys and regardless of any flats or sharps found on your guitar. Major triads feature major intervals and have a happier sound; in contrast, minor chords feature minor intervals for an emotionally charged sound. Therefore, beginners should begin learning major chords first to develop their technique.
The Perfect Fifth
A perfect fifth is an interval between two notes that spans seven semi-steps and belongs to the group of perfect intervals that also includes unison, octave, and perfect fourth intervals. Abbreviated P5, this term denotes this particular perfect fifth.
Perfect fifths appear above the root in all major and minor triads (chords). Their sound gives chords an assertive, heroic quality, while adding weight to its voicing; rock musicians commonly refer to these chords as power chords.
One way to hone your ear and recognize perfect fifths is by familiarizing yourself with the first five notes of the do re mi fa sol scale, while another way would be listening for examples such as Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey or Harold Arlen’s The Wizard of Oz where their opening chord outlines a perfect fifth.
The Major Triad
Triads are sets of three notes combined into one chord. Triads built using the notes do, re, and sol (1, 4, and 5) in major keys are called major triads; those using ti, mi, and fa (middle C to Fa), however, are minor; and those on gi, dy l (gi, di and la), are diminished triads.
Triads produce an expansive and full sound that is often described as being complete, resolved, bright and upright; major triads tend to sound most “major”. But other sounds exist too – like those produced by minor or diminished triads with flat fifths – which you should explore once you become comfortable playing them.
The most basic major triad begins on scale degree 1 and includes scale degrees 3, 5, and 7. Often written as “root”, 3rd”, and “5th”, this fingering style is known as inverted major. While you can build any major triad at any scale degree level, this is generally where beginners start their studies.