After becoming familiar with major chords and how to construct them, it’s time to move onto minor chords – there are twelve basic minor triads.
To create a minor triad, take any major chord and lower its middle note by one half step – the third interval.
Root note
Chords consist of at least three notes stacked upon one another. These notes include the root note, third interval note and fifth interval note – each interval representing an ascending or descending step on a major or minor scale.
An A minor chord begins with its root note A and adds to it both the third note from A minor scale (C) and fifth note from that scale (E), creating what is known as an A minor chord.
Chords may contain additional tones, usually indicated by numbers written next to their symbol. For example, a Cmaj7 chord contains all of the notes found in a C minor chord but lowers its middle note (or third note), adding a suspension.
Third note
Though many beginners begin their music study by learning major chords before minor ones, this should not lead you to believe minor chords are more complicated. They use the same basic chords – with minor and major triads having their thirds lower and fifths higher respectively.
Lowering of this third is what distinguishes major and minor chords, and can serve as an easy reminder when creating them. You can also use it as a quick test to see whether your chord is minor or major – simply count how many half steps exist between each note – it works well in all keys! This method works especially well when creating minor chords.
Fifth note
Chords play an integral part of music composition, serving to convey various emotions and moods through tone. A C major chord can create a lively, upbeat environment while an A minor chord adds melancholy undertones.
Note that when it comes to minor chords, their fifth note is always one half step below that of its major scale counterpart – this rule holds in all keys.
Keep this in mind when creating minor chords: they resemble major chords but with different third and fifth notes: minor goes at the bottom while major is on top.
Major third
Minor piano chords consist of three basic keyboard notes. To play one, begin with the root note before adding third and fifth notes from a minor scale – with one key difference: its middle note being lower by one half step.
To successfully read music, it is crucial to comprehend keys and chords. Musical notes are organized into 12 major and minor keys; every major key corresponds to its respective minor key (for instance C major has A minor as its associated minor key). Chords made of three intervals can often be simplified down into just three notes making memorizing easier; such chords are commonly known as triads; these triads may then be enhanced further by adding another note, producing 4-note minor 7th chords or “m7.”
Minor third
Many beginner piano students often mistakenly believe that minor chords are more challenging to play than their major counterparts, however this is simply not the case. To create a minor chord simply lower the third note by one fret – an interval known as a minor third can be found across all major and minor scales, including harmonic minor and minor pentatonic blues scales.
Minor chords sound much sadder than major ones, which explains their use in sad songs such as Greensleeves (a traditional folk tune that begins with one).
Addition of a minor seventh chord can completely transform the sound of a minor chord; these m7 chords, commonly used in jazz music, can be learned how to play by visiting our M7 Chord Lesson Page.