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Learnthetheorybehindchords
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Pianochordsanintroduction
Inthisarticle,itwillbeexplainedwhatachordisandwhichthemostcommoncategoriesofchordsare.
PlayingpianoisabigfieldandPianoscales.orgdonotprimarilyfocusonchordsand,therefore,youwill
notfindanydiagramshereforparticularchords.InthatcasePianochord.orgcouldberecommended.
Whatisachord?
Achordisseveralnotesplayedtogether.Therearethreenotechords(triads),fournotechordsandfive
notechords.Thereareactuallyevenchordswithsixorsevennotesbutinthiscasesomeofthenotesare
usuallyremoved.
Differentchords
Major:acommontriadiscommonlywrittenonlybythenameoftherootinthechord.
ForexampleC,includingthenotesCEG.
Minor:thecommonversionofminoriscommonlywrittenwiththenamefollowedbya"m"(shortfor
minor).
ForexampleCm,includingCEbG.
7:whenthenumbersevenisfollowingthenameofthenoteitisadominantseventhchord.Aminor
seventhisaddedandmakeitafournotechord.
ForexampleC7,includingCEGBb.
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Learnthetheorybehindchords
m7:thisisminor(misanabbreviationforminor)seventhchord.Aminorseventhisaddedtoaminor
triad.
ForexampleCm7,includingCEbGBb.
maj7:thisisamajor(majisanabbreviationformajor)seventhchord.Amajorseventhinthescaleis
addedtoamajortriad.
ForexampleCmaj7,includingCEGB.
75:thisisadominantseventhchordwithaflattenedfifth.Thischordcanalsobewrittenlike7b5.
ForexampleC7b5,includingCEGbBb.
7+5:thisisadominantseventhchordwithasharpfifth.Thischordcanalsobewrittenlike7#5.
ForexampleC7#5,includingCEG#Bb.
6:thisisatriadwiththesixthnoteinthescalebeingadded.
ForexampleC6,includingCEGA.
m6:thisisaminortriadwiththesixthnoteadded.
ForexampleCm6,includingCEbGA.
9:heretheninthnoteinthescaleisaddedtoadominantseventhchord.
ForexampleC9,includingCEGBbD.
m9:heretheninthnoteinthescaleisaddedtoaminorseventhchord.
ForexampleCm9,includingCEbGBbD.
maj9:heretheninthnoteinthescaleisaddedtoamajorseventhchord.
ForexampleCmaj9,includingCEGBD.
dim:isanabbreviationfordiminishedandthechordsarediminishedinthewaythethirdandthefifth
noteareflattened.Thereisalsodiminished7thwithaflattenedseventhnote.
ForexampleCdim,includingCEbGborCdim7,includingCEbGbA.
aug:isanabbreviationforaugmentedandthechordsareaugmentedinthewaythefifthnoteare
sharpened.
ForexampleCaug,includingCEG#(theaugchordcouldalsobewrittenlikeC+).
sus:isanabbreviationforsuspension.Herethethirdisreplacedbyeitherthefournote(sus4)orthe
secondnote(sus2)inthescale.
ForexampleCsus4,includingCFGandCsus2,includingCDG.
Withtheknowledgeaboutthecategoriesofchordsexplainedaboveyouwillbefamiliarwiththemost
chordsyoucouldstumbleupon.Thereishoweverevenmorecategoriesandsomelessercommonchords
are:
Dominant,majorandminoreleventh(forexample:C11,Cmaj11andCm11)
Dominant,majorandminorthirteenth(forexample:C13,Cmaj13andCm13)
Halfdiminished(forexample:Cm7b5)
Augmentedseventh(forexample:Caug7)
Add9(forexample:Cadd9)
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Invertedchords
Invertedchordsareverycommonandmeanthatthenotesinachordareshiftingpositions.Ifwetake
triadsasanexample,therearetwoinversionspossible.Thefirstinversionusesthesecondnoteasbass
noteandthesecondinversionusesthethirdnoteasbassnote.
Theoriginalchord,CMajorisconstructedCEG.
Firstinversion,C/EisconstructedEGC.
Secondinversion,C/GisconstructedGCE.
Chordsinpractice
Exactlyhowyouplaychordswilldependonmanydifferentthings:areyouplayingsolo,togetherwitha
singerorainfullband?Ifyouplaysolo,youprobablywillplaychordswithyourlefthandandthe
melodywithyourright.Ifyouareaccompanyingasinger,youwouldfocuslessonthemelodynotesand
perhapssplitupthechordsonbothyourhands.Andfinally,ifyouwouldbeplayingwithabandyou
wouldprobablyneedtoplayfewernotes.
SeealsoTheory:whatisascale?
The Guitar Engine
Free Guitar Chords, Scales, &
Modes Key-Specific Chords
and Scales
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