Minor chords are an integral component of musical vocabulary and learning and using them can make your songs much more striking, creating different emotions with every note played.
Minor chords consist of three distinct notes, unlike major ones which contain five unique notes. However, the difference lies in that between major and minor chords is that interval between root note and fifth is reduced by half-tone compared with major chords.
Triads
Triads are three note chords formed by layering thirds starting at the root of a chord. Triads can be found in major, minor, diminished and augmented chords; each type offers its own distinct sound – learning them will add variety to musical arrangements. An effective way of learning triads is starting at the root chord then gradually adding thirds above it and fifths below – this will give you an accurate impression of how each type sounds.
As you examine a chord chart, it may become confusing when seeing the same chord written multiple ways. For instance, an A chord may be written as A Minor, Amin and Am – with each version requiring different fingering techniques: lifting off one finger for A Minor chords while Am is simply Major version of these same triads with distinct tones and sounds.
As you gain familiarity with various triads, finding the appropriate one for any given situation should become simpler. Furthermore, using different types of triads will enable you to form more complex chord structures like seventh chords and extended chords; furthermore knowing major/minor intervals allows for creating more melodious solo performances.
As a very general guideline, major and minor chords differ in that major chords have brighter sounding chords that are more joyful in nature, while minor chords tend to produce darker and melancholic sounds – such as Hurt by Johnny Cash or Losing My Religion by R.E.M. This explains why minor chords can often be heard in songs like those listed above.
Minor chords are triads composed of three notes – root, minor third and perfect fifth – connected by an open string triad. Played in any key and with any note arrangement you desire, minor triads offer endless potential to develop playing skills and increase musical diversity. Triads may be played open chords, barre chords or power chords depending on your preference; practice playing each variation for maximum proficiency!
Scales
Although most minor chords appear similar, their notes and intervals can result in them sounding quite distinct – particularly if you alter the interval between root note and third. A popular technique used when creating minor chords is using flattened thirds which often generate emotional or melancholic effects.
Change the root note of a minor chord to create more major or dominant tones by moving it either up or down the scale by one semitone (half step). This technique is frequently employed in modern music; though subtle when listening, its effect is clear and noticeable.
Learning guitar requires mastering its scales of your chosen key. For this reason, it is strongly suggested to learn both major and minor scales to identify which note serves as its root note and which creates the minor or major triads; this information will come in handy both when accompanying songs as well as creating melodies of your own.
Minor chords are among the most ubiquitous of guitar chords. Indeed, they can be found across genres and regions worldwide; from Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” to The Beach Boys’ “California Girls.” Most songs featuring at least one minor chord include one or more minor chords as part of their structure – from “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers to The Beach Boys’ “California Girls.”
Before learning how to play a minor chord, it is necessary to understand its underlying scales. They generally consist of the first, flattened third and fifth notes of a major scale arranged flat.
To identify what scale a minor chord is based upon, it is necessary to refer to its diagram. One common scale for minor chords is the Natural Minor Scale which can be learned slowly over time. Once comfortable with playing it repeatedly with a metronome timer set as your goal will help quickly identify any notes out of tune with each scale.
Voicings
A chord’s sound can often depend on its voicing; this refers to any specific sequence of notes which produces its particular sound. There can be various voicings for one chord; each sounding different than its peers due to chords being built from triads with individual voicings.
Minor 7 chords can be played in various ways. From using barre chords or open position to employing various voicings – each having the same root note but sounding slightly different due to each combination of notes in its unique combination – many different ways.
Alter the sound of a minor chord by employing diminished voicing techniques. These modified chords feature stacking minor thirds for an instantly recognisable sound; full diminished chords also utilize this technique, yet their subtler sound makes a greater impression than partial diminished ones.
Voicings are a key component of playing minor chords, and should be given great consideration when choosing them. Your choice can have an enormous effect on both the overall tone of the chord itself and any melody played over it; thus it is imperative that you practice as many different voicings as possible to find what suits best with your musical style.
Minor 7 chords can be played either as drop 2 or drop 4 voicings; with drop 2 having the minor seventh in the bass and fifth voicing having their fifth placed there respectively. Here are four minor 7 drop 2 voicings, complete with guitar neck diagrams.
These chord voicings are written in C minor, but can easily be transposed to any key. Furthermore, you can play these chords using barre chords or capo positions for additional versatility.
Minor chords are an effective way to add tension and emotion to songs, whether they’re ballads or country tunes. Minor chords create an engaging listening experience for listeners who encounter it; as witnessed in Kool and the Gang’s hit “Celebration.”
Intervals
A chord’s intervals give it its distinctive character and feel. These intervals refer to the space between two notes on the fretboard in terms of half steps or whole steps; major, minor or sharp or flat will determine its tone; knowing this quality allows you to craft songs that encapsulate this kind of atmosphere with precision.
As soon as we hear a song, its minor section often creates the melancholy mood that draws us in. By understanding how minor chords impact tone of song, we can make better decisions regarding which ones to play and when. This will enable you to become a more versatile musician while expanding your interpretation of songs.
As you survey a fretboard, you will notice that many intervals repeat themselves across octaves – for instance 2 is 2, 4 is 4 etc. However, there are augmented intervals which don’t repeat themselves exactly and are used in some chords to add tension during particular phrases or sections of songs.
The initial augmented interval is the b13. This minor sixth interval plus an octave can be seen in chords such as maj7#11 chord.
Other augmented intervals include the b11, m9, #9+ and aug9 intervals that can be used to alter the sound of chords and add tension in music.
Noticed on your fretboard are certain intervals which do not feature diatonic tones within the key of a song, yet are still essential learning material as they form the basis for many chords and scales.
This next article in this series will delve deeper into minor chords, how to incorporate them into your playing and chord inversions that can change the feel of songs and chords. Plus we will look at some great minor-key songs written by artists such as Johnny Cash and R.E.M.