Beginners in guitar will find this lesson helpful in learning major chords that are straightforward. Additionally, this introduction to chords, scales and musical theory will introduce basic terms.
Major chords are built from triads. That is, they consist of 3 notes separated by an interval of a third – creating the basis of major chords.
A Major
At first glance, major chords tend to sound brighter and happier than minor chords; however, this largely depends on context and singer/songwriter preferences.
Chords are formed by connecting the first, third and fifth notes of a scale – also known as “triads”.
The open A major shape chord is one of the most commonly utilized chords in music and can be found on numerous popular songs from artists such as Suzanne Vega.
B Major
Strong chords that evoke emotion. One of the most charismatic major chords.
Major chords consist of three notes that form their own scale – known as key signature. For instance, C-E-G can be arranged in various orders while still constituting a C major chord.
B Major is an important key signature with five sharps and four flats, so learn to play its chord in both its first and second inversions.
C Major
Classical music’s most beloved chord progression, this key has long been associated with joy and happiness – and often becomes the first major chord learned by new musicians.
Major chords are triads composed of the first, third and fifth notes of any scale in any order; provided all three notes are present and audible.
D Major
The key of D Major consists of seven notes – D, E, F#, G, A, B and C#. This unique collection of notes adds an emotional and uplifting tone to musical compositions.
As is common with major scales, D Major chord progressions rely on stacking thirds to form triads. Its vibrant tone can be heard in both classical pieces and pop songs alike.
E Major
Students new to music theory often begin by learning major chords as they are easy to understand and apply.
Major chords consist of the first, third and fifth notes in any scale; you can find these by counting up four half steps from the root note.
F Major
F Major chord is one of the first chords beginners learn and is widely utilized across music styles and songs.
Keep in mind that a major chord is a triad, consisting of three notes from different scales arranged into a five note chord with its fifth being an altered major seventh scale (four half steps higher than its root).
Barre this chord using your index and ring fingers. While this might seem challenging at first, with practice it becomes simpler.
G Major
G major is the tonic chord for this key and can be found in many popular songs such as Angus Young’s Highway To Hell, Shook Me All Night Long, and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
This voicing of G major uses an open G chord structure with a barre on the fourth string to prevent its bass note from dropping, creating a more powerful chord voicing.
H Major
Contrary to most chords, this one contains six semitone intervals between its notes due to regular tunings – an alternative tuning class which diagonally shifts chord patterns allowing beginners to learn chords quickly and improvise more freely.
This chord employs the fingering pattern for barre chords, whereby one finger controls multiple frets at once. This technique is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced players.
I Major
Open chords are generally easier for beginners to play than barre chords and make learning guitar much simpler.
Chords are generally identified by their root note or initial note in their scale. Furthermore, chords can also be divided into major and minor chords for classification purposes.
Major chords are composed of three notes from their scale arranged as triads; minor chords have darker tones and are composed of flattened triads.