Major chords are the go-to choice when it comes to piano chords, being both simple and accessible for anyone just beginning to learn how to play piano. Their bright sound is often described as being happier than that of minor chords.
Each major triad chord consists of three notes stacked atop one another; this space between them is known as an interval.
Root
Root of a Major Chord
The most prevalent major chord is a triad, comprising of three notes with a root note, third interval note and fifth interval note arranged vertically or otherwise; always with its lowest note being its root note.
As well as letter names of roots, you will often see numbers following them such as C maj 7, which indicates an added seventh interval triad which should be played one tone higher than its root note. Other less frequently encountered types include major sixth and major thirteenths.
Major Third
Discovering and mastering major piano chords are integral to playing many styles of music. Like minor chords, major ones consist of three notes stacked one upon another – but unlike the latter they feature strong and joyful tones composed of three components – an open root note, major third note and perfect fifth.
An interval is the distance between any two adjacent chord tones that serves to identify their type – major, minor, augmented, or diminished chords.
Under just intonation, three consecutive major thirds will form an octave (C to E to G). However, chords of similar structure can also be created using other intervals like sixths or sevenths.
C Major Seven indicates to play the notes C, E, G and B (instead of B-flat). A seventh chord can also be added for dominance; when added to a major chord it forms C Dom 7. Note: the major seventh has its own distinctive sound when added with major chords.
Perfect Fifth
A perfect fifth is defined as an interval that lies seven half steps above the root of any chord, considered more “perfect” than any other in the scale and providing fullness to any sound produced by its chord.
Major chords typically consist of three elements: root, major third and perfect fifth. Playing them is highly enjoyable and often produces positive feelings in listeners.
If you see chord symbols with capital letters separated by a slash like C/G, this indicates that when playing chords on the piano this method will use both hands: right for playing notes before and left for notes after. It is a commonly-used way of playing chords!
Practice chord building at home to experience just how easier chord construction is, while becoming familiar with different intervals and their sounds so that you can recognize them in songs or progressions more readily.
Triad
Triads are among the simplest types of piano chords, yet are integral components to more intricate harmonic structures. Triads form the backbone of many genres of music – from classical melodies to modern pop songs.
A major triad is a set of three notes stacked one upon another; its components are root, major third and perfect fifth. You can count these notes in the major scale to gain insight into their characteristics: root note, major third note and perfect fifth.
From C, you must ascend four half steps (two whole steps). From there, three more half steps must be added until reaching E; finally another three half steps take you all the way to G – that is what defines a C Major triad on a staff.
Other chords can be created by adding additional tones to this basic structure, usually indicated by adding numbers such as major 7, minor 4, or major 9. These numbers represent how many tones above root you add when altering an original triad chord.