Triads are composed of three notes from a major scale, such as C, E and G from C major for instance.
Typically speaking, music in major keys tends to sound brighter and happier while music written for minor keys tends to sound more melancholic. Each chord can offer variations to change its mood or emotion accordingly.
Major Triads
Major chords are made up of the first, third, and fifth notes of a major scale. You can create different types of major chords based on different scales – each providing its own tonal flavor.
Triads of C, E and G are among the most frequently occurring major chords. These three notes comprise the first three notes in C major scale and form an easy and accessible triad chord.
Other major chords can be created by adding additional notes to a triad. A common addition is the seventh, indicated by writing Arabic number 7 after the root (i.e. Cmaj7); other popular extensions include major sixth (C6), minor sixth (C6) and major ninth (Cmaj9) extensions – sometimes also called dominant 13ths and notated as either CM13 or C13 respectively.
Minor Triads
Hearing songs written in minor keys often conveys feelings of melancholy or sorrow; examples include Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Chopin’s Funeral March and Hans Zimmer’s theme from Jaws.
To create a minor chord, begin by choosing the root note and then adding three semitones lower (three semitones below) the root note as a minor third, as well as seven half steps higher (7 half steps above minor third) for a perfect fifth above it.
Minor chords are typically designated in harmonic analysis and lead sheets by using either lowercase letters “m” or a dash symbol (-), though they’re sometimes written out with Cm, C-, or CM7 notation. Tertian chords use consecutive minor thirds while major triad chords utilize consecutive major thirds instead.
Augmented Triads
Augmented chords present a more complex set of challenges when learning jazz piano chords than their conventional triad equivalents do, as they don’t use standard triad shapes as upper structures but instead utilize stacked major 3rds that may feature multiple enharmonic spellings – something beginners may find more difficult than expected to comprehend.
The augmented 5th is an effective way of transitioning from one chord to another as well as adding tension that adds drama and dramatizes a progression.
Augmented chords are rarely used in popular music and have a dramatic sound that can add tension and yearning in songs about love, death or tragedy. Try using them for tension building in songs about these themes!
Major Inversions
Every chord, be it major or minor, can be arranged in various ways – this process is known as inversion of the chord.
Take for instance a chord like C-E-G; by shifting it up one octave you get its first inversion (C-E-G). This is how major chords are typically inverted on sheet music or chord charts.
Chord inversions allow you to switch chords smoothly with minimal finger movement. This is because their root note no longer serves as the bass note but is instead replaced by one an octave above it.
Minor Inversions
Minor chords use a major scale, but its third and fifth notes are spread further apart to lessen its focus. Playing them requires wider finger spans than when using major scales alone.
Inverting all intervals turns them around; major intervals become minor while minor intervals become major.
Inversions allow you to play more chords within one area of the keyboard without moving your fingers up and down often, helping reduce hand fatigue while creating a smoother playing style. But, it should be used sparingly since they may lead to harmonic dissonance without proper voice leading – this is especially important when dealing with seventh chords.