Chords

A chord is a combination of at least two sounds. Chords are important because they define the key in which you play a whole song.

You need to know that not every musical instrument can play a chord. If you wonder why, it is because of its structure. Wind instruments or percussion instruments of a set note, like the drum, by their nature, cannot play two notes at the time. String instruments, like the piano or the guitar, or percussion instruments with many notes, like the xylophone, can. This doesn't mean three wind instruments cannot play together and combine their sounds to create a chord, and keep the beauty of the key the song is played in. Actually, music wouldn't be what it is if they couldn't do it.

In addition, you need to know that there are many chords. The basics are still major and minor chords, but variants are made so easily that any list will be quite long. It is easier to understand the theory. Review the page about tones, half-tones and intervals, if necessary.

How to make a chord

A chord will basically take three notes:

+ The first one, which will give it its name
+ The one which is four half-tones after, known as the third
+ The one which is seven half-tones after, known as the perfect fifth, or simply the fifth

If you play these three notes together, you will get a major chord.

Variants

With a major chord, you can easily build the following variants:

+ Lower the third a half-tone, and you will get a minor chord
+ Lower the fifth a half-tone, and you will get a diminished chord
+ Raise the fifth a half-tone, and you will get an augmented chord
+ Raise the third a half-tone, and you will get a suspended fourth chord
+ Change the third for the second, and you will get a suspended second chord
+ Add a fourth note to a major chord, one tone before the octave, and you will get a seventh chord
+ Add a fourth note to a major chord, a half-tone before the octave, and you will get a major seventh chord
+ Add a fourth note to a minor chord, one tone before the octave, and you will get a minor seventh chord
+ Add a fourth note to a major chord, one tone after the octave, and you will get a ninth chord
+ Add a fourth note to a minor chord, one tone after the octave, and you will get a minor ninth chord

Honestly, it is easier done than said. I will include the list of notes below.

Chords are executed playing their notes either simultaneously or in very close successions called arpeggio. To complete a chord, you just need to make the three (or more) notes present in the melody, in any order you may need or like. Thus, to play a major do, for example, you can play its composing notes (C – E – G) at the same time or one after the other, in that order (I mean, do has the sound in the lowest pitch) or another (C – E – G, E – G – C, G – C – E, etc.), which are known as inversions. This is one of the things that make music so versatile and interesting.

List of chords

Major chords

Major chords include these three sounds. To make the others, you just need to transport them from a scale to another:

C – E – G

The chord receives the name of its base note, or root. In this list, the first one, from do major to ti major:

C – E – G
D – F# – A
E – G# – B
F – A – C
G – B – D
A – C# – E
B – D# – F#

Minor chords

Minor chords include these three sounds. To make the others, you just need to transport them from a scale to another:

A – C – E

Again, the chord receives the name of its root. In this list, the first one, from la minor to sol minor:

A – C – E
B – D – F#
C – Eb – G
D – F – A
E – G – B
F – Ab – C
G – Bb – D

Augmented chords

In these ones, the fifth has been raised a half-tone.

Major augmented chords

C – E – G#
D – F# – A#
E – G# – C
F – A – C#
G – B – D#
A – C# – F
B – D# – G

Minor augmented chords

A – C – F
B – D – G
C – Eb – G#
D – F – A#
E – G – C
F – Ab – C#
G – Bb – Eb

Diminshed chords

In these ones, the fifth has been lowered a half-tone.

Major diminished chords

The chord receives the name of its base note, or root. In this list, from do major to ti major:

C – E – Gb
D – Gb – Ab
E – Ab – Bb
F – A – B
G – B – Db
A – Db – Eb
B – Eb – F

Minor diminished chords

Again, the chord receives the name of its root. In this list, from la minor to sol minor:

A – C – Eb
B – D – F
C – Eb – Gb
D – F – Ab
E – G – Bb
F – Ab – B
G – Bb – Db

Seventh chords

In these ones, there is a fourth note, the one which is the flat seventh tone of the scale.

Major seventh chords

C – E – G – Bb
D – F# – A – C
E – G# – B – D
F – A – C – Eb
G – B – D – F
A – C# – E – G
B – D# – F# – A

Minor seventh chords

A – C – E – G
B – D – F# – D
C – D# – G – Bb
D – F – A – C
E – G – B – D
F – G# – C# – Eb
G – A# – D# – F

Ninth chords

In these ones, there is a fourth note, the one which is the nine tones in the scale.

Major ninth chords

C – E – G – D
D – F# – A – E
E – G# – B – F#
F – A – C – G
G – B – D – A
A – C# – E – B
B – D# – F# – C#

Minor ninth chords

A – C – E – B
B – D – F# – C#
C – D# – G – D
D – F – A – E
E – G – B – F#
F – G# – C# – G
G – A# – D# – A

Continue with harmonic circles...

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