If you need some help with Sequence of notes or Interval naming – naming the sequence of notes in terms of minor 3rd, perfect 4th, major 6th etc, please watch this video : Note sequence and Interval names . Understand and master chords using The chord code
4 basic chord types – the 4 Triads
Major chord, minor chord, augmented chord and diminished chord each are played with just three notes – hence called triads.
Major chord : Root – major 3rd – 5th
Suppose we want the C major chord.
Start with C as the root. Find the major 3rd of C (E). Find the fifth of C (G)
C major chord = C E G
If we look at the sequence of notes : C C# D D # E F F# G… etc,
Major scale is made of Root – 5th note of the sequence – 8th note of the sequence
Minor chord : Root – minor 3rd – 5th
Suppose we want the C minor chord.
Start with C as the root. Find the minor 3rd of C (Eb). Find the fifth of C (G)
C minor scale = C Eb G
If we look at the sequence of notes : C C# D D # E F F# G… etc,
Major scale is made of Root – 4th note of the sequence – 8th note of the sequence
Major and minor – Chord or scale – the One Note
A scale or chord is minor if the third note in the associated scale is a minor 3rd.
A scale or chord is major if the third note in the associated scale is a major 3rd.
Changing a minor chord to major and vice versa
Any major chord is formed of : root, major third and fifth (the interval names with respect to the root)
C major chord has the notes : C E G
C is the root, E is major third, G is fifth
Any minor chord is formed of : root, minor 3rd, fifth
So to get a C minor chord, all we have to do is change the major third note to minor third note
Minor third note is the note just lower in frequency to the major third note. Use the sequence of notes to find the note that comes one before the major third – that will be the minor third note.
In C major chord, E is the major third note. One note before E is Eb (or D#).
So C minor chord has the notes : C Eb G (same as C D# G)
To get a minor chord from a major chord :
- identify the root, major third and fifth of the chord
- change the major third note to minor third note
To get a major chord from a minor chord :
- identify the root, minor third and fifth
- change the minor third note to major third. major third is the note that comes just after the minor chord note in the sequence of notes.
Augmented and Diminished
Augmented chord : Root – major 3rd – sharp 5th (minor 6th note)
Diminished chord : Root – minor 3rd – flat 5th (sharp 4th note)
Augmented chord
root – major 3rd – sharp 5th
Augmented chord is a major chord with the fifth sharpened
e.g. C Augmented chord
We know that the C Major chord has the notes : C – E – G (root – major3rd – fifth)
Sharpen the fifth of a major chord and we have the corresponding augmented chord.
Fifth of C major chord is G. Sharp of G is G#.
So C Augmented has the notes : C E G#
Diminished chord
root – minor 3rd – flat fifth
Diminished chord is a minor chord with the fifth flattened.
e.g. C Diminished chord
To get a diminished chord, take the corresponding minor chord and flatten the fifth note.
C Minor chord has the notes C Eb G (root – minor 3rd – fifth)
Flatten the fifth; flatten the G to get Gb
So C Diminished chord has the notes : C Eb Gb
Practice
Finding the augmented or diminished from the major or minor is one easy way.
Instead you could remember the positions for the chords on the guitar, remember where the root is and keep shifting the pattern.
Or you can just directly find the notes each time from the interval name and note sequence.
Find what works for you and learn them contextually, in relation with other elements in the bigger picture of your musical needs.
Thanks to Aswani Kumar Kancherla for some valuable suggestions and feedback.
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