Major triad chords consist of three notes that are stacked one upon another; this distance between notes is known as an interval.
To create a major chord, start from the root note and move up three piano keys (black and white) until reaching the third note, before going two keys further to reach its fifth note – always maintaining an equal ratio between these intervals.
Major Third
A major third is an interval spanning four half steps and is one of two intervals often found in chords, alongside its counterpart the minor third.
Intervals are the smallest units of musical distance between notes. They are measured both using staff positions and half steps on the keyboard.
Example of a major third: C to E is considered a major third as it contains one large whole step on the staff and two half steps on the keyboard.
Major thirds create positive, upbeat melodies while minor thirds sound discordant and uncertain. Therefore, it is vitally important to comprehend the relationship between Major and Minor chords to craft pleasing melodies.
Perfect Fifth
The perfect fifth is one of the key intervals used for building triad chords, and can even help soften dissonant tones in “tall tertian” harmony structures (those featuring more than four tones stacked above their root note).
Just intonation calls for a pitch ratio of 3:1 (702 cents). With 12-tone equal temperament, however, its interval width narrows slightly at 700 cents.
An accurate fifth can be heard when two notes that are equal distance apart are played with no accidentals at all; when not ideal, both notes feature different accidentals – for instance one may feature flat and one sharp.
Scale
A scale is the collection of notes that make up an entire key, with its base note known as its tonic and any subsequent ones classified as harmonic or melodic minor notes.
Memory will come much more quickly if you understand major scales. Knowing F natural and G flat can give context when someone tells you to play something in that key; thus enabling you to differentiate which key it’s being written in.
Most beginners learn scales by gradually practicing them with both hands together in one octave at first. While this approach can help, it’s important to recognize when and why one veers from the scale – that’s where improvisation comes into play!
Intervals
Understanding intervals is integral to keyboarding. Intervals determine whether a chord is major or minor and which type of triad it belongs to; they also dictate whether an interval is major, perfect, augmented or diminished.
To determine what interval you are dealing with, count the number of note letters from one note to its adjacent higher note, ignoring accidentals. For instance, counting B to F as three letter notes constitutes a third. Referring back to an interval chart will help further.
Use a piano to gauge the size of an interval. Imagine the bottom note as being the tonic for a major scale; if the top note fits within this scale then that interval would be major; otherwise it may be minor or perfect.