Major chords form the backbone of many songs and often resonate with feelings of optimism and positivity.
A major chord’s basic components include its root, major third and perfect fifth; however, other voicings may be possible; for instance adding a sixth or seventh to a triad can create an augmented or diminished chord.
C Major
Major chords are often the starting point of music theory for students just beginning their study of it, as they’re easy to grasp and are the cornerstones of many well-known songs.
Each major chord triad contains three components, which include the root, major third and perfect fifth notes. This combination can then be repeated across different octaves.
To create an altered chord, an extra note needs to be added – for instance a B on top of an otherwise C major viio chord can make this change.
D Major
There are five major chords in D Major, but many variations exist if extensions or inversions are added. For instance, beginners often struggle to finger cleanly the D6 chord as it requires fingers two and three but can sound good if used in the appropriate sequence.
Chords in D Major use diatonic triads built upon two sharps to compose its notes: D, F# and A. By adding minor seventh, C to an otherwise simple D major chord you get D7 chord which seeks to reach G, the tonic of its key.
E Major
The E Major chord has an upbeat, joyful sound. Like other tonal Major chords, it consists of a major triad with its root at its centre and third and fifth as roots, third, and fifth notes; these fundamental chords can be found in every Major Key and you can use a Chord Mixing Wheel to understand their relationship to other chords within it.
They can be used to craft adrenaline-filled bangers or add drama to a soothing melody.
F Major
F Major offers several chord options to build. All are triad chords, which share one root note across all scale degrees.
For an intensified chord experience, musicians call this technique ‘inversion’; adding notes an octave above their original note creates a more expansive sound, making its arrival all the more satisfying.
G Major
G Major is a key featuring three primary chords based on the first, fourth and fifth notes of its scale; these triad chords can be used to create various musical styles.
There are also some triads with additional notes that create unique chords, like the G major chord 7 (vii chord). This chord features G as its root note and two white keys above it contains D as its perfect fifth note for added flavor.
A Major
Major chords are the most frequently found triad in music, consisting of the first, third and fifth notes from any major scale. You will likely learn your first major chord!
Major chords can also incorporate other intervals, such as sevenths or ninths – something often done in jazz music.
Major keys contain three major chords, the tonic, dominant, and subdominant. By adding accidentals or transposing one octave up or down from these basic triads, other major chords can be composed using them.
B Major
B Major is a popular key for songs, yet can take longer to learn than other white keys due to having two sharps instead of just one. Once learned however, it becomes very similar to other white keys in terms of chord memory and melody.
This key utilizes chords built upon triads. At first, these may seem difficult, since two sharps appear at both ends of the scale – however they really are not that difficult!
C# Major
C Major is often associated with positive and uplifting music, and can serve as an excellent foundation to begin building chord progressions.
All major scales can be divided into major tetrachords (four note segments with whole step, half step and whole step intervals), which you can then name – like Cmaj7 or Cm7 chords that sound the same regardless of root note used to build them.
D# Major
The D sharp major chord can be tricky on guitar due to the same black notes being known by two distinct names (one with a sharp and another with a flat).
The D# major chord is a triad, consisting of three intervals – root, major third and perfect fifth – all connected by their roots. To play it successfully, press your fingers against only thin strings while strumming only those.