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In this article, we’ll look at common chords, how they sound, and where to use
them.
Before we get started, make sure you’re familiar with the following concepts:
Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s discuss what a chord is.
Chords are built off of one note, called the root note. If someone says a chord
is a C chord, that means the root note of the chord is a ―C‖.
While only two notes are needed for a chord, most chords will have at least
three. Three note chords are also called triads.
Streamline your workflow with the Chord Progression Cheat Sheet. It’s a
one-page guide containing all the essentials you’ll need to write a catchy
chord progression. Click here to download.
Chord Quality
The type of chord you are playing depends on the intervals between the notes
of the chord. Another name for this is the quality of the chord. Major is one
type of chord quality, as is minor.
Each chord quality has it’s own distinct sound. Some will sound happy, some
will sound sad, and others will sound mysterious.
Learning these different chord types will make writing chord progressions
easier.
Why is this?
Now, let’s discuss the common chord types, how to build them, and where to
find them.
Chord Types
There are 9 common chord qualities that you should be aware of. Some of
these aren’t used often, while others are used extensively:
Major
Minor
Diminished
Major Seventh
Minor Seventh
Dominant Seventh
Suspended
Augmented
Extended
You may have heard of a few of these, while others may be foreign. It’s
alright, we’ll have a look at them all in this post.
Major Chord
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A major chord consists of a root note (1st), a major third (+4 semitones), and a
perfect 5th (+7 semitones).
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 4
semitones (i.e. four notes) to find the major 3rd. This is an E. Then, we’ll
count up 7 semitones from C (or 3 semitones from E) to G, which will be our
5th. This is a C major chord: C – E – G.
As you can see, we start counting the half steps from the note above the last
one.
A minor chord consists of a root note (1st), a minor third (+3 semitones), and a
perfect 5th (+7 semitones).
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 3
semitones (i.e. three notes) to find the minor 3rd. This is an Eb/D#. Then,
we’ll count up 7 semitones from C (or 4 semitones from Eb/D#) to G, which
will be our 5th. This is a C Minor chord: C – Eb – G.
Minor chords follow the same pattern as major chords except the middle note
is down a half step.
Similarly, we can represent the formula for building a major chord as 1-4-3.
If this clears things up, it can be a handy tool. If not, don’t worry too much
about chord formulas.
Diminished Chords
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Diminished chords aren’t used too often, but they still serve an important
purpose. Later, we’ll discuss why and where you can use diminished chords.
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 3
semitones (i.e. three notes) to find the minor 3rd. This is an Eb/D#. Then,
we’ll count up 6 semitones from C (or 3 semitones from Eb/D#) to Gb/F#,
which will be our diminished/flat fifth. This is a C diminished chord: C – Eb –
Gb.
A major seventh chord consists of a root note (1st), a major third (+4
semitones), a perfect 5th (+7 semitones), and a major 7th (+11 semitones).
Another way to think about major seventh chords is they are a major triad (i.e.
major chord) with a major 7th on top.
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 4
semitones to find the major 3rd. This is an E. Then, we’ll count up 7
semitones from C (or 3 semitones from E) to G, which will be our 5th. Lastly,
we’ll count up 11 semitones from C (or 4 semitones from G) which is B. This is
a C Major Seventh chord: C – E – G – B.
Minor Seventh
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A minor seventh chord consists of a root note (1st), a minor third (+3
semitones), a perfect 5th (+7 semitones), and a minor 7th (+10 semitones).
Another way to think about minor seventh chords is they are a minor triad with
a minor 7th on top.
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 3
semitones to find the minor 3rd. This is an Eb. Then, we’ll count up 7
semitones from C (or 4 semitones from Eb) to G, which will be our 5th. Lastly,
we’ll count up 10 semitones from C (or 3 semitones from G) which is Bb. This
is a C Minor Seventh chord: C – Eb – G – Bb.
For comparison, let’s listen to a C Major Seventh chord followed by a C Minor
Seventh chord. Seventh chords are typically richer than triads, each carrying
it’s own unique quality.
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Dominant Seventh
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A dominant seventh chord consists of a root note (1st), a major third (+4
semitones), a perfect 5th (+7 semitones), and a minor 7th (+10 semitones).
Another way to think about major seventh chords is they are a major seventh
chord with the top note lowered by one semitone.
Let’s look at an example: building a C Major Seventh chord.
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 4
semitones to find the major 3rd. This is an E. Then, we’ll count up 7
semitones from C (or 3 semitones from E) to G, which will be our 5th. Lastly,
we’ll count up 10 semitones from C (or 3 semitones from G) which is Bb. This
is a C Dominant Seventh chord: C – E – G – Bb.
Sus2
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A sus2 chord consists of a root note (1st), a major second (+2 semitones),
and a perfect fifth (+7 semitones). Another way to think about them is they are
major chords with a major second instead of a major third.
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 2
semitones to find the major 2nd. This is a D. Then, we’ll count up 7 semitones
from C (or 5 semitones from D) to G, which will be our perfect fifth. This is a
Csus2: C – D – G.
Sus4
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A sus4 chord consists of a root note (1st), a major fourth (+5 semitones), and
a perfect fifth (+7 semitones). Another way to think about them is they are
major chords with a perfect fourth instead of a major third.
First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 5
semitones to find the perfect 4th. This is a F. Then, we’ll count up 7
semitones from C (or 2 semitones from F) to G, which will be our perfect fifth.
This is a Csus4: C – F – G.
Augmented Chords
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First, we’ll start with C, which will be our root note. Then, we’ll count up 4
semitones to find the major 3rd. This is E. Then we’ll count up 8 semitones (or
4 semitones up from E) to G#, which is the augmented 5th. This is a C
Augmented: C – F – G#.
Extended Chords
So far, we’ve only discussed chords with intervals between 2 and 7. There are
also chords featuring voicings above a seventh, namely ninth, eleventh, and
thirteenth chords.
There are many types of extended chords, and I won’t bore you with them
now, nor should you spend hours memorizing them at this point in your
career.
For now, the main takeaway is to know that they exist, and that they’re
common in jazz, funk, and R&B. If you’re interested in any of these styles,
they’re worth diving deeper into. If not, focus on mastering the other types of
chords first.
To give you a feel of the sound of extended chords, I’ll show you a few of my
personal favorites:
Dominant Ninth
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The dominant ninth nine chord consists of a root, major 3rd (+4 semitones),
perfect 5th (+ 7 semitones), minor/flat 7th (+10 semitones), and major 9th
(+14 semitones).
Major Eleventh
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A major eleventh chord consists of a root note (1st), a major third (+4
semitones), a perfect 5th (+7 semitones), a major 7th (+11 semitones), a
major 9th (+14 semitones), and an 11th (+17 semitones).
Conclusion
There are far more chords than just these. I’d say if you’re getting started with
chords then these are ideal ones to learn about.
Also, as with anything in music – the mood and feel of chords is a subjective
thing. You have to discover what chords you like yourself. If something
doesn’t sound suspenseful or dark to you, then it doesn’t sound suspenseful
or dark to you.
Ready to start writing chord progressions? Check out our article ―How to Write
a Catchy & Memorable Chord Progression―.
Want this entire article summed up in a one page PDF? Download the Chord
Progression Cheat Sheet. It’s a one-page guide containing all the essentials
you’ll need to write a catchy chord progression Click here to download.
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