Learning chords is essential to playing piano, and becoming familiar with major chords will enable you to understand how songs or progressions are constructed. Practice each note separately before practicing all together so as to become comfortable with their sound.
Each major triad consists of three notes stacked one on top of another in succession, separated by an interval of half steps that includes both white and black keys.
Root Note
Root notes are the beginning point for any chord. When creating one with your fingers, this note is typically the thickest string you press against to form it; usually this note also serves as the lowest note within that chord (although that’s not always true). There are multiple ways you can identify what this root note might be: one option would be looking at its symbol or simply listening out for how the chord sounds; others include reading chord symbols or listening out for how it sounds in context.
Each major triad consists of a root note, three interval notes (4 half steps higher than its root note and seven half steps above it), and five interval notes (7 half steps above the root note).
Once you understand this concept, memorizing piano major chords should become much simpler. Commit to practicing one chord per week – and soon you will have them all memorized!
Major Third
The major third is an essential element in every chord and determines its major or minor identity. A major third occurs four half steps higher than its respective root note (for instance C to E), so chords containing root, major third and fifth notes are known as triads; major chords tend to sound upbeat or hopeful while minor chords possess more somber or melancholic tones.
Any major key can be used to construct a triad on the first, third and fifth scale degrees; its quality determined by whether its third is major or minor.
Sometimes chords feature an additional tone, such as C with F sus 4 (meaning a fourth tone above the major third) or F sus 2 (an F in place of second tone), known as suspension chords and not containing either major or minor thirds; similarly augmented and diminished chords do not contain either major or minor thirds.
Major Fifth
Addition of a fifth to a major chord produces an explosive sound, lending strength and depth. Therefore, this interval is frequently employed when building power chords in music.
As your piano skills advance, you will become acquainted with more types of chords to enhance the sounds you play – sus2 and su4 chords can provide depth to any piece. They use either the second or fourth note in place of the third in major chords for greater interest and depth in music composition.
These chords should not alter the overall sound of a song; rather, they can add tension or melancholy. You could add an unsettling diminished fifth to an otherwise major chord for added tension or melancholy; both augmented and diminished fifths follow the same chord formula – root, major third, augmented/diminished fifth.
Added Tones
Once you’ve learned major triad chords, the next step should be exploring some variations. Making minor chords by moving their third down by half steps creates suspenseful sounds which eventually resolve back into their original chord form.
Another variation is a suspended chord (often written Csus2 or Csus4), whereby either of the third or fourth notes is replaced with either of its secondary notes (often second or fourth respectively), giving it more of an emotional or dramatic vibe, and can even create blues-like tones.
There are also variations, such as augmented chords (often written A or A7) in which an extra seventh note is added to a major triad; and diminished chords (often written as D or Dm), which create a dissonant sound, often including both diatonic and nondiatonic tensions.
There are also less-common chords such as add9 (sometimes written as maj9) and 6add9, which combine sixth and ninth to create their unique tonalities. Both these chords can be created from major chords by raising or lowering their seventh string respectively.