Just as scales are the basic building blocks used to create melodies in music, chords are the basic building blocks used to create accompaniments for melodies. Scales and chords are very closely related to each other and the formulas used to create chords relate directly to the steps of the Major scale. For example, the formula to create the Major chord is:
I - III - V
meaning, it's the combination of the notes at steps I, III and V from the Major scale. Which Major chord is this? It could be any of the 12 possible Major chords depending on which note "I" refers to. In other words, if you want to create a C Major chord then C is I. The other two notes are steps III and V from the C Major scale - i.e., E and G respectively.
To create a D Major chord, use the same formula but refer to the D Major scale. Thus, a D Major chord is a combination of D, F# and A (I, III and V from the D Major scale).
Because these chords contain three different sounds, they're called "triads". The illustrations above show C Major and D Major triads in their simplest, bare-minimum forms. It's perfectly acceptable to play any arrangement of the three sounds in a triadic chord - even repeating notes if so desired - and it doesn't change the chord quality - i.e., "Major". The following illustration shows a C Major chord "voicing" (arrangement of notes) spread across two octaves:
The following is another way a C Major chord can be played on a keyboard:
Important to Note:
Chords can be played with either hand and often using a combination notes shared across both hands together, as the illustrations above show.
Activities:
- Locate and C Major chord notes as simple three-note triads using just your left hand.
- Repeat as simple three-note triads using just your right hand.
- Play C Major in different registers of the keyboard - i.e., play down low in the bass register, in the middle register, and then up in the higher registers
- Play C Major chords using both hands so that tones are repeated
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