Major chords are among the most frequently used in music, as they’re easy to play and can be found across genres of music.
Triads are composed of a root note, third interval and fifth interval and are known by this name.
Sometimes chords written with the sus symbol, like C sus 4, indicate they should replace the third tone with fourth instead.
Major Triads
A major chord is composed of three notes – its root note, third interval note, and fifth interval note – combined in such a way as to produce three notes: its root – also called its bass note or tonic in root position; middle note (2) and fifth interval note (5th interval note or dominant note). Major chords are very popular in most types of music and often create joyful or upbeat emotions in its listeners – examples including Get the Party Started by P!nk; Run Through the Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jolene by Dolly Parton are all great examples of major chords used together with major chords by their composers respectively.
Building a major chord on the piano is straightforward. Start by picking your root note – which should be the lowest key of whatever scale you’re working in – then counting seven half steps from that note – each half step being one distance between adjacent keys on the keyboard that includes both white and black keys.
Once you reach the seventh note of your scale, a major chord is born. You can play this chord using either one finger, both hands or with a barre to create more open shapes.
Minor Triads
Every musician encounters chords at some point; they form the backbone of harmony, found across many genres and genres.
Triad chords are the foundation of all chords and can be constructed by adding the root note with any three minor scale notes; add major seventh intervals for an enhanced minor major 7th chord effect.
An additional variation on this is an augmented or diminished chord, created by adding one note to a minor triad and creating an exciting sound than traditional major or minor chords.
There’s also a group of chords known as suspended triads. To construct them, one must drop the third note from a major scale (making it flat), replacing it either with either the 2nd note (a suspended second), or more often the 4th (a suspended fourth).
Major Inversions
As part of your piano lessons, it is advisable to practice chord inversions regularly. Not only will they help you understand how major and minor chords differ but can also make reading sheet music and understanding what the composer means easier! A chord inversion simply involves changing the order of its notes; for instance if you wish to invert a C Major chord played in root position into its first inversion form by shifting its bottom note up an octave into its new bass note position it would result in E, G, C – creating its first inversion!
Rearranging intervals gives a chord its distinct form and function, enabling faster chord transitioning while also changing its sound without altering its quality or character.
Minor Inversions
Acquainting yourself with inversions is an excellent way to add depth and variety to your piano playing, as well as being crucial when creating chord progressions.
To create a minor chord, simply take your root position major chord and lower its middle note before placing its fifth note into that same spot for an instant minor chord!
Root note A establishes the tonal center, distinguishing this chord as A minor. A minor third above A, C, adds melancholy and tension while two semitones below it stands E as its perfect fifth gives it stability and harmonic structure.
Establishing inversions of any chord can be easily accomplished. Just pick a starting point, count intervals and you’re instantly creating an inversion! In chord symbols a first inversion is depicted with a slash following its note that has become its bass note; for an A minor inversion use a root position C major and move A up until it ‘floats’ above E and G with C floating above them all.