16
Chord Basics
A chord, in music, is any harmonic set of three or more
notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. The
most frequently encountered chords are triads. A triad is a
set of three notes that can be stacked in thirds. When
stacked in thirds, the triad's members, from lowest pitched
tone to highest, are called: the Root, the Third, and the
Fifth.
Triad Type
There are following basic triad types:
Chord Inversion
We define this chord its root is not in the bass (i.e., is not
the lowest note) as an inversion chord. When the root is in
the bass, we call the chord: root-position chord. If we put
the Third and Fifth in the root position, then it forms
Inversion, we call this chord Inversion Chord. See the
following major triad and its inverted chord.
Chord Name
The chord name contains two parts content: Chord root
and Chord type.
Root
Fifth
Third
Major Triad
Minor Triad
Augmented
Triad
Diminished
Triad
A root with a major third added above and
a perfect fifth will consist as a Major Triad.
A root with a minor third added above and
a perfect fifth will consist as a Minor Triad.
A root with a major third added above and
an augmented fifth will consist as an
Augmented Triad.
A root with a minor third added above and
a diminished fifth will consist as a
Diminished Triad.
Major Triad Minor Triad
Augmented Triad Diminished Triad
Root Position First Inversion Second Inversion
Chord Root Chord Type