All Major Chords

All major chords are constructed in a similar way. First a major chord requires at least three different notes. None of the three notes can be an octave of any other notes and none can merely be an "enharmonic" of another note. (Enharmonic notes are those notes that have different letter names, but are actually the same tonal sounds. An example would be F sharp and G flat). Once you have met the three different tones according to this criteria you can add additional notes that are octaves of any notes previously used. For a major chord you must apply an additional concept - the major chord must be constructed out of the first, third, and fifth of the major scale for that chord. The first note of the major scale is usually called the "root".

The C major scale uses the notes of C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. If you call C the 1, and D the 2, and E, the 3, F the 4, and G the 5, A the 6, and B the 7; it is easy to see that the C E G are the 1, 3, 5 notes of the C major scale. Remember that the C note is now also called the "root" tone. Because in this situation the C is the lowest tone, the chord is in "root form". Adding additional C notes, E notes, or G notes in other octaves only serves to make the chord sound stronger. On the guitar it is possible to hold a C chord at the first fret location that can create two C chords. There are different fingerings to produce the C chord however.

All major chords will be constructed using the 1, 3, 5 of the root name major scale. This means that all major chords will have a similar overall sound, but have variations in the number of octave elements and the order of the tones. Even in root form you could for example have a root, fifth and then a third. A chord can sound quite different if it has particular notes of the chord doubled for example. The last note played as you strum a chord can also create a different sound and feel for the chord and finally the types of strings and the diameter of the strings used for example on the guitar can affect the sound and feel of the chord. Chords that are constructed using open (not fingered) strings will also have a different sound because non-fingered strings will tend to ring longer.

The main difference between all major chords is that the frequency of vibration is different, but the relative relationship of 1, 3, 5 is maintained. The 1, 3 5 of the G major scale are the notes of G, B, and D. It is these three notes that are required to construct a G major chord.

Chord construction theory is always initially considered in an upward direction from the root for the application of such patterns like the 1, 3, 5, but chords can be constructed by using notes lower in tone than the root and this is where some confusion can occur. Counting backward from the upper C major scale previously listed would not for example generate G as the fifth of C. By counting backward F would have been generated as the fifth below C and E would have generated the 6th if counting backward from C. To establish some uniform conceptual method we use the process of counting upward from the root tone.

At this point we have listed the C major chord as having the notes of C, E, and G and the G major chord as having the notes of G, B, and D. The tonal distance from C to E is exactly the same "relative" tone distance as the distance from G to B. This is also the case for the distance from E to G and the distance from B to D. Both chords then have a root, third, and fifth built from the root named major scale.

The roots, third, or fifth can be in different orders in the chord and these are called "inversions" of the chord, but the basic 1,3, 5 concept still applies. Discussion of other types of chords will be the topic of future articles.