CHORDS
Even more than other parts of music it is important to remember that you don't have to learn all your chords at once. There are lotsof them but once you have learnt a few basics they start to come together much more easily than you would think at first. Also they are closely connected to scales so the more you learn of one the easier the other becomes.
MAJOR CHORDS - TRIAD
Major chords start with a basic triad - set of 3 notes - the first of which is the root. this is always the same as the chord so if you want to play C major the root is C and in D major the root is D and so on.
The second note is a major third and that is the 3 note of the major scale or 4 semitones above the root. So if the scale of C goes C D E F G A B C - which it does - then the major 3rd is the 3rd note which is E. Or you can work it out C, C Sharp, D, D sharp, E so as E is four semitones above C then it is the second note of the triad.
The third note is a perfect fifth above the root. This is the fifth note of the major scale so using C it is C D E F G A B and the fifth note is G. Or you can count seven semitones above the root,
C, C sharp, D, D sharp, E, F, F sharp, G, so as G is seven semitones above C then it is the third note of the triad. Below are the 12 major triads.
Major chords start with a basic triad - set of 3 notes - the first of which is the root. this is always the same as the chord so if you want to play C major the root is C and in D major the root is D and so on.
The second note is a major third and that is the 3 note of the major scale or 4 semitones above the root. So if the scale of C goes C D E F G A B C - which it does - then the major 3rd is the 3rd note which is E. Or you can work it out C, C Sharp, D, D sharp, E so as E is four semitones above C then it is the second note of the triad.
The third note is a perfect fifth above the root. This is the fifth note of the major scale so using C it is C D E F G A B and the fifth note is G. Or you can count seven semitones above the root,
C, C sharp, D, D sharp, E, F, F sharp, G, so as G is seven semitones above C then it is the third note of the triad. Below are the 12 major triads.
MINOR CHORDS - TRIAD
The minor chord is the same root and perfect fifth as the the major triad but the second note is a minor third. That means it is 3 rather than 4 semitones above the root. So once you have learnt your major triads you can just lower the middle note by one semitone. Below are the 12 minor triads.
AUGMENTED - TRIAD
This chord is the same as the major triad except that the third note is one semitone higher. So it is made up of a root and two major thirds.
DIMINISHED -TRIAD
This is the same as the minor triad except that the third note is one semitone lower. So it is made up of a root and two minor thirds
SUSPENDED - TRIAD
In this triad the root and third note are the same as the major triad but the second note is a perfect fourth, that is 5 semitones above the root.
In this triad the root and third note are the same as the major triad but the second note is a perfect fourth, that is 5 semitones above the root.
SEVENTH CHORDS
The major 7th adds the seventh note of the scale - which will be 11 semitones above the root to the triad.
The Dominant 7th chord adds the minor 7th to the triad. That is the note 10 semitones above the root.
ADDED SIXTH CHORD
The sixth note of the scale is added to the major triad.
The sixth note of the scale is added to the major triad.
Alternatively it can be added to the minor triad to make a minor 6th chord.
Above are just some of the most common chords. There are many others adding the 9th, 11th or 13th note for example and other diminished and half-diminished chords.
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