Lesson 1 of 4

What Is a Chord?

A chord is three or more notes played together. The four basic triads (3-note chords) are built by stacking intervals of thirds.

Root:

C Major

Notes: C – E – G

Triad Formulas

MajorR + 4 + 7(Happy, bright)

MinorR + 3 + 7(Sad, dark)

DiminishedR + 3 + 6(Tense, unstable)

AugmentedR + 4 + 8(Mysterious, dreamy)