Lesson Objectives

Introduce simple chords using triads.
Understand how to build major and minor chords using scales.
Introduce and understand the formation of diminished, augmented, 7th, minor and major 7th chords, Sus4 and Sus2 chords.

Introducing triads

Chords are formed by taking three or more notes and playing them at the same time. Basic chords consist of only three notes and are called triads.

Triads are arranged in thirds. This means taking the first (1st), third (3rd) and fifth (5th) notes of a scale or perhaps the second (2nd), fourth (4th) and sixth (6th) and so on. Each note being two steps above the previous one.

Next: Major chords

Introducing triads
Major chords
Minor chords
Introducing the diminished chord
Further studies – more chords
Augmented chords
Beyond triads – four part harmony
Adding the 7th – the Major 7th chord
Adding the flattened 7th – the Minor 7th chord
Chord of Bminor7 (Bm7)
7th chords
Formula for deriving chords from the major scale
Using formulas to construct all chords
Using formulas to construct all chords
Sus chords