Chord progressions form the backbone of most songs, making understanding the major chord scale essential for any guitarist.
Understanding major chord scale will equip you to write music, transpose to different keys and develop your ear as a musician. Let’s begin with its building block: the triad.
Major Triads
Each major chord contains three notes – its root, third and fifth. Triads are created by stacking two notes above every degree in the scale – which may either be major or minor and can either be augmented or diminished to create different qualities of triads. Note intervals help us assess their quality by showing us how many half-tones (or semitones) or piano keys lie between adjacent chord notes.
To create a major triad, begin by drawing its root chord on the staff and adding any accidentals from its key signature to it. Next, add its third and fifth above it. Finally, listen carefully to their sound quality; Csus2 or C5add6 may both be considered major triads but their sounds differ significantly – listen repeatedly until you can distinguish them easily.
Major Thirds
A major third is a musical interval consisting of two whole steps and has the same sound as the perfect fifth without needing sharps or flats for its proper tone, such as would be necessary in diminished fifth.
Equal temperament requires three consecutive major thirds to be exactly an octave apart; but just intonation uses closer to 5:4 intervals between each chord’s major third, creating different sound variations depending on which tuning system is used – giving musicians greater versatility for learning scales and chords in any key, regardless of fretboard position. This provides one advantage of using just intonation for learning scales and chords: you can adapt their sound depending on which tuning system you use! This makes using just intonation ideal when learning scales and chords from any tuning system: playing any chord has different sound depending on which tuning system used, giving musicians greater freedom from learning scales or chords! This makes using just intonation when learning scales and chords: musicians can access any key on any fretboard position and play any chord they wish! This gives you and all guitarists use just intonation when learning scales/chords allowing any type of music student.
Major Sevenths
Major seventh chords are one of the easiest chords to learn and can be found across a range of musical genres from modern piano ballads to Claude Debussy’s Claire De Lune. Their warm sound makes them great choices for romantic and soul music compositions.
The seventh chord serves an integral purpose in tonal Western art music. Any dissonant effects are resolved via falling-fifth root motion.
To create a major seventh chord, simply combine three major triads and add one major seventh. You may also practice with half diminished seventh chords which have an exciting, tension-inducing sound. It is essential that you understand the differences between these two types of seventh chords; even though their shape may look identical, their sounds and functions differ considerably.
Minor Triads
A chord is a musical sonority composed of three distinct pitch classes that must combine to produce specific intervals to be considered major or minor chords. Major chords in C’s key feature a root, major third and perfect fifth while minor chords can be formed by joining two major triads and adding the flat 3rd from harmonic minor scale.
To accurately judge a triad’s quality, draw its root on the staff and write notes stacked in thirds above it (i.e., draw a snowperson). A chord that contains a major triad that does not fall under its major key signature will sound consonant; alternatively, diminished and augmented triads should include either a minor third or perfect fifth above their root for consonance to sound natural.
Minor Sevenths
The major seventh chord and its minor seventh counterpart may sound similar, yet there is one key distinction. The minor seventh is one half step lower, creating tension and making the chord feel less stable than its major counterpart.
Seventh chords can be created starting from any note of the major scale, giving you plenty of flexibility when creating them. For instance, starting on C and forming a triad will yield a C major chord; starting on D will produce a D minor chord instead.
These chords can be heard throughout modern and classical music – including Debussy’s “Claire De Lune.” They add hope and warmth to songs.