A chord is formed when multiple notes come together. Memorizing chords helps with memorizing them more quickly.
Triad chords, the simplest type of chord, consist of three notes. Chords with more than three notes are often considered more complex chords.
Major Chords
Chords are groups of pitches that share a similar duration within music. Most chords consist of three or four notes, though jazz music often incorporates chords with five, six, or more pitches into its music.
Most major chords use three notes from their scale – root, major third, and fifth note – known as triads.
Some major chords feature an added seventh (or ninth, or thirteenth) note that can either be major or minor depending on the style of music being performed.
Musicians typically name major chords using intervals instead of scales when naming major chords, for instance C-E is considered a major third, since it spans three alphabetic note names, while E-G represents a minor third due to only having two alphabetic note names between them. Because intervals between notes are more important than actual names for chords; similarly augmented fifths (5), diminished sevenths (7,9), or altered fifths (o5, aug) represent simply an interval up or down from their root note source note – similar principles also apply when naming major chords.
Minor Chords
Major and minor chords form the core of any song, but learning more types can add an incredible dimension. While chord names may be complex and there may be numerous varieties to learn, don’t let that stop you – focus on mastering each type properly instead!
Suspended chords (sometimes known as sus) are major or minor chords that exclude their 3rd note from the scale in favor of its second note from said scale, known as a flat third and which give this chord its minor flavor.
Another method for playing these chords is by adding a 7th note to the scale, such as in dominant 7 chords or less often diminished 7s. These sound quite jazzy, making for great alternatives to block major chords. They work particularly well when played before or after parallel major or minor chords – though an understanding of scales will help with this endeavor!
Major Sharps
Major chords can be defined as those containing all four notes of their key signature, but also may contain extensions, such as an 11th or 13th note, which is more frequently seen in jazz but may also show up on chord charts for rock songs. Extensions are indicated with either a # sign (sharp) or b sign (flat).
When there are multiple sharps in a key signature, they will be displayed using FCGDAEB letters. As a general guideline, flats begin in 4ths starting on C and sharps begin in 5ths beginning with F.
Sus chords provide another form of extension by switching out one note for another in the chord – creating tension within it and working well before and after a regular major or minor chord. They can even be played with bass notes added for an expanded sound experience.
Minor Sharps
These chord shapes are straightforward and make for a good place to start increasing fretboard knowledge and finger dexterity. Additionally, practicing these power chords will help make you an all-round better guitarist.
A-sharp minor is a key that features seven sharps on its circle of fifths. It uses the harmonic minor scale, which features all of the same notes as natural minor but raises seventh scale degree by half step. Furthermore, A-sharp minor has some other distinctive features which set it apart from other forms of minor keys.
A-sharp minor chords stand out with their unique augmented third feature, adding the 5th note to the basic triad to create an interesting yet slightly dissonant chord that can be very effective in certain settings. A-sharp minor seventh chords can achieve similar results by adding 13th notes – though more frequently only adding root, third, and fifth notes add to this basic triad.