Login Register

Sign Up Sign Up

The Major Chord

Lesson 12/118 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Keyboard for Adults

The Major Chord

The Major Chord

A chord can be defined as a group of three or more different notes played together. Every chord is based upon a specific formula which relates back to the major scale after which it is named. The formula for a major chord is 1 3 5, hence the C major chord consists of the first, third and fifth notes of the C major scale, i.e., C–E–G.

C Major Scale

A chord must contain at least three notes, and any of these three may be repeated. In the F chord illustrated there are two F notes, one A note and one C note.

Now consider the D major chord, which is constructed from the D major scale:

The same major chord formula 1 3 5 applies to all major scales, as demonstrated in the following table. To see all the major scales, see the section on Major Scales earlier in the Appendices.

*The root note is the note after which the chord is named (e.g., C is the root note of the C major chord).

Previous Lesson Next Lesson

Peter Gelling

Product Designer

4.79

Profile

Class Sessions

1- INTRODUCTION 2- The Notes Middle C, D and E 3- Chords 4- The Quarter Rest 5- The Three Four Time Signature 6- The Notes A, B and C 7- The Bass Staff 8- Minor Chords 9- Arpeggios 10- Sharp Signs 11- The G Major Scale 12- Flat Signs 13- Using the Whole Keyboard 14- The Eighth Rest 15- Minor Chord Inversions 16- More About Syncopation 17- The Sixteenth Note 18- Accidentals 19- The Blues Scale 20- The Triplet 21- Swing Rhythms 22- Seventh Chords 23- Scale Tone Chords 24- Using the Sustain Pedal 25- Intervals 26- How to Transpose 27- Minor Scales and Keys 28- More About Minor Keys and Scales 29- The Minor Pentatonic Scale 30- Alternating Octaves 31- Notes on the Keyboard 32- Approach to Practice 33- Seventh Chords 34- The Lead-in 35- The Tie 36- The C Major Scale 37- Playing Chords with the Right Hand 38- Five Finger Positions 39- Broken Chords 40- Higher C Position 41- Key Signatures 42- The F Major Scale 43- Chord Inversions 44- Syncopation 45- Slash Chords 46- Identifying Eighth Note Rhythms 47- Dynamics 48- Enharmonic Notes 49- Riffs 50- The Shuffle 51- The G Seventh Chord (G7) 52- The B Diminished Chord 53- Interval Qualities 54- New Chords in the Key of G 55- Tempo Changes 56- The Harmonic Minor Scale 57- Minor Pentatonic Scale in E 58- Major Scales and Key Signatures 59- How to Sit at the Keyboard 60- Changing Chords 61- The Octave 62- Playing Scales with Both Hands 63- Keyboard Voices and "Timbre" 64- Legato 65- Practicing Scales 66- C Major Chord Inversions 67- Doubling Notes in Chords 68- Turnaround Progressions 69- Pedal Tones 70- Volume Changes 71- 12 Bar Blues 72- G7 Chord Inversions 73- Using Roman Numerals for Chords 74- Interval Distances 75- D Major Chord Inversions 76- Relative Major and Minor Keys 77- Harmonic Minor Scale Tone Chords 78- New Topic 79- Hand Shape 80- Songs With Chords 81- Key of C Major 82- G Major Chord Inversions 83- Accents 84- Blue Notes 85- The C7 Chord 86- Chord Construction 87- B Minor Chord Inversions 88- The Melodic Minor Scale 89- Cycle of Fifths 90- Music Notes 91- F Major Chord Inversions 92- D Minor Chord Inversions 93- The F7 Chord 94- Scale Tone Chords in G 95- F<span class="symbolA">#</span> Diminished Chord Inversions 96- Melodic Minor Scale Tone Chords 97- Cycle of Fourths 98- Notes on The Keyboard 99- Tempo Markings 100- E Minor Chord Inversions 101- Omitting Notes from Chords 102- Major Scale Chart 103- How to Find Middle C 104- Blues Scale Summary 105- Fingers 106- Minor Keys 107- How to Read Music 108- Minor Scales and Key Signatures 109- Note and Rest Values 110- Chord Construction 111- The Major Chord 112- The Minor Chord 113- The Seventh Chord 114- Chord Formula Charts 115- Scale Tone Chords 116- Summary of Scale Tone Chords 117- Scale Tone Chord Extensions 118- Summary of Scale Tone Extension Chords