If you want to master piano chords, it is essential that you recognize the distinction between major and minor chords. Minor ones can add tension or sadness while major ones provide a happier sound.
Chords consist of three notes called the root, third, and fifth. Major chords always use notes from the major scale as building blocks for their chord.
Root
A chord’s root note is its foundation; typically this will be the initial note in its scale of origin.
Major chords all share a basic structure consisting of root, third and fifth notes – though their precise arrangement will differ depending on whether it is E Major, G Major or C Major etc.
Minor chords work similarly, except their third and fifth are switched – minor goes at the bottom, major on top. You can build these using any of the twelve tones found within the chromatic scale.
Other chords like dominant seventh chords and major ninth chords add extra flavor by raising the major 3rd note or adding a major 7th note respectively, providing you with additional options when expanding your chord palette and creating more varied and interesting soundscapes. Knowing about them will allow you to expand the color and depth of your sound.
Third
Any chord with three or more notes must be constructed from some form of triad. A major chord consists of its root note, third note, fifth note from scale and fifth from the scale; its third determines whether it’s major or minor in nature.
Major chords feature a full and cheerful sound, making them easy to learn while sounding great.
Major chords feature a perfect fifth interval between their lowest and highest notes; although you could use other intervals such as second or fourth to create major chords, these won’t sound as complete.
Major chords should always have a third that is four half steps higher than its root; this rule applies in any key. Without this major third, minor chords will sound dissonant; they have an unhappy sound with melancholic overtones that create sadness or melancholy feelings in their music. Any major chord can become minor by adding “m” or “mi” after capital letter of its root triad letter.
Fifth
Major chords consist of three components – roots, thirds and fifths – with each having different intervals with respect to its root note. You can add other notes that complement these components by adding other notes containing different intervals with its root.
Simple chords like G5 consist of only two distinct notes; more complex chords may include three or more unique tones for greater depth and complexity in sound.
Seventh chords, like major triads, but with an additional note layered on top. For instance, the C7 chord is composed of C, E, G and B-flat notes to add extra tonality and color when playing jazz or other styles of music. You can add even more dimension by expanding or creating extensions; though this might prove challenging for beginners.
Added Tones
Enhancing chords by adding extra notes is integral to creating more intricate piano music, known as extended chords and used either in major or minor keys.
Triads, which consist of three note groups, provide the easiest way to recognize whether a song or chord is major or minor. While the laws of harmony allow us to build chords using more than three notes simultaneously, triads should be utilized when learning piano for optimal results.
Add additional notes with extensions like add2, add4 and add6 chords (added ninth, augmented sixth and added thirteenth), which extend triads by adding notes from scales above their root note – they all follow rules so they sound good; one important rule to keep in mind when adding additional notes is that any note added should always be an octave lower than what has already been added so as to avoid dissonance.