![]() It’s interesting to stress that we didn’t use G♯ to refer to the fifth (although G♯ and A♭ would be enharmonic notes), since the fifth degree of D is A. They are designated by adding the “º” symbol or “dim” after the chord.įor example, the Dº chord (or Ddim), is formed by the D (tonic), F (minor third) and A♭ (diminished fifth). Just like augmented chords, diminished chords create a lot of tension. As we saw for the augmented chords, we can also consider diminished chords as being a superposition of two intervals of a minor third. A diminished fifth is an interval of 3 tones from the tonic. Diminished chordsĪ diminished chord is made up of the tonic, a minor third and a diminished fifth. They are usually designated by adding the “+” sign or “aug” after the chord.Īs an example, D+ (or Daug) would be formed by D (tonic), F# (major third) and A# (augmented fifth). ![]() It is an unstable type of chord by nature, they create some kind of tension. To put it another way, it is a superposition of 2 intervals of a major third from the tonic. An augmented fifth is an interval of 4 tones from the tonic. Augmented chordsĪn augmented chord is formed by the tonic, a major third and an augmented fifth. G major chord is formed by G (tonic), B (major third 2 tones from the tonic), it coincides with degree III of G major scale) and D (perfect fifth, 3 tones and a half from the tonic, it coincides with degree V of G major scale).Īs an example, the Am chord is made up of the A (tonic), C (minor third, a tone and a half from the tonic) and E (perfect fifth, 3 tones and a half from the tonic). We could also say that a major chord is a part of the major scale, specifically its degrees I, III and V. They coincide respectively with degrees I, III and V of the major scale. A perfect fifth is the note that is 3 tones and a half from the tonic (or seven semitones). Major ChordsĪ major chord is always formed by the tonic, a major third and a perfect fifth. As you are progressing, you will begin to add suspended chords to your vocabulary, then diminished chords, and augmented chords to a lesser extent. Major and minor chord formation, now that is something you must stick in your brain forever. You can forget about the 3 last ones for now, it’s enough for you to know that they exist. ![]() In a word, we have 5 types of basic chords, depending on how we form the triad: major, minor, augmented, diminished and suspended. Usually, and this applies to all chords, we will have a “base” note, which we’ll call “tonic”, from which the chord will be named after, and from which semitone distances will be calculated to the other notes of the triad, in order to define the type of chord. If we press 3 different keys of a piano (different meaning that they are not the same note, not even in a different octave), we will have a chord, we won’t know what his name is, but it is a chord.ĭepending on how we form the triad (specifically, the interval or number of semitones there is between the notes forming the triad, we will have one type of chord or another. If it’s a union of 3 notes, we call it a triad. A chord is nothing more than the union of 3 or more different notes played at the same time.
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