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Basic Chord Forms and Triads

Music is indivisible. The dualism of thinking and feeling must be resolved to a state of unity in which one thinks with the heart and feels with the brain. - George Szell

1.

Basic Chord Forms

Much of Western music is based on the Ionian system of scales and modes. This system is constructed from the major or Ionian scale:
C D E F G A B

C major scale

There are three important types of chords:

Chord type: Intervals: Example: Name:

Major Minor Dominant

1 3 5 1 b3 5 1 3 5 b7

CEG ACE GBDF

C major A minor G dominant 7th

- Chord types and construction -

To create chords from or harmonize a given scale, stack every other note in intervals of major or minor thirds on top of a given root:

C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C _______________________________________________ C D E F G A B E F G A B C D G A B C D E F

C major scale

= = = = = = =

Cmaj Dmin Emin Fmaj Gmaj Amin Bdim

- Harmonization of the C major scale to major and minor triads -

2.

Seventh Chords

Adding one more third on top of the triads above results in a family of seventh chords.
Chord type: Intervals: Example: Name:

Major7 Dominant7 Minor7 Minor7b5(Half dim)

1 3 5 7 1 3 5 b7 1 b3 5 b7 1 b3 b5 b7
- Seventh chords -

CEGB GBDF ACEG BDFA

C maj7 G7 Amin7 Bmin7b5

C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C _______________________________________________ C D E F G A B E F G A B C D G A B C D E F B C D E F G A

C major scale

= = = = = = =

Cmaj7 Dmin7 Emin7 Fmaj7 Gdom7 Amin7 Bmin7b5

- C major scale family of seventh chords -

Further additions of thirds on top of these results in ninth chords, then eleventh and thirteenth chords.
Passing note: Chords do not have to be, and are in fact rarely voiced in ascending sequential order of their intervals. A common G major chord on the guitar, for instance, is voiced 3|2|0|0|3|3 (frets on strings 6-1), or GBDGDG. This voicing consists of three tones providing harmonic information, and three tones doubling two of these. A more economic and harmonically sensible way of chording on the guitar is using four-note-chords where applicable and appropriate. A Gmaj7 chord for example could among other options be voiced either 3|5|4|4|3|3 or any of these: 3|x|4|4|3|x, 7|x|5|7|7|x, x|x|5|4|3|2, x|x|5|7|7|7 or x|10|12|11|12|x, x|x|9|11|8|10, x|x|12|12|12|14. ( Here, x stands for muted string.)

Another way to construct chords is a process called triad-stacking. 3. Triads

Triads are sonorous groups of three notes, stacked in adjacent major (III) or minor thirds (iii), named after their given root. There are four types of triads: major, minor, augmented and diminished; commonly abbreviated as maj, min, aug, dim.

A major triad is built by stacking a minor third upon a major third on top of a given root. C-E = Major third C-E-G = major third + minor third = C major triad. E-G = Minor third A minor triad is built by stacking a major third upon a minor third on top of the root. C-Eb = minor third C-Eb-G = minor third + major third = C minor triad. Eb-G = major third An augmented triad is built by stacking two major thirds: C E = major third C-E-G# = C augmented triad. E G# = major third A diminished triad is built by stacking two minor thirds: C Eb = minor third C-Eb-Gb = C diminished triad. Eb Gb = minor third

Triad:

Intervals:

Example:

Name:

Major Minor Augmented Diminished

III + iii iii + III III + III iii + iii

CEG ACE GBD# BDF

C major A minor G aug B dim

- The four triad forms with different roots -

2002 by Nick Naffin. On the web: http://www.nicknaffin.com Please send questions, suggestions and comments to chops@takenotepromotion.com

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