What is a chord?
A chord refers to a set of two or more notes that sound simultaneously.
Basically, a chord is created by stacking notes in thirds from the root and when we call the chord tone we may call them by their own note names but usually we call them by their intervals from the root.
In modern popular music, a triad consisting of the root, the third and the fifth or a seventh chord consisting of the root, the third, the fifth and the seventh are most frequently used. In addition, three notes of the ninth, the eleventh and the thirteenth are called tension notes and such notes can create unique colors.
Types of the chords
Triad
A triad consists of the root, the third and the fifth and there are five types of triads such as major, minor, suspended fourth, augmented and diminished. Among these three notes, the third determines the scale either major or minor depending on its interval above the root and therefore it is called a character note. Suspended fourth is a perfect fourth but understood as the augmented third and included in triads.
Following is a summary of each chord note with a root C.
Root
|
3rd
|
5th
|
Description
|
How to read
|
Notes
|
C
|
maj 3
|
per 5
|
C
|
C, C Major,
C Major Triad
|  |
min 3
|
per 5
|
Cm
|
C Minor,
C Minor Triad
|  | |
aug 3
(=per 4)
|
per 5
|
Csus4
|
C Suspended Fourth
|  | |
maj 3
|
aug 5
|
Caug, C+5, C+
|
C Augmented
|  | |
min 3
|
dim 5
|
Cdim, Co
|
C Diminished
|  |
Seventh Chord
A seventh chord consists of the root, the third, the fifth and the seventh and a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a seventh.
Following is a summary of each chord note with a root C.
Root
|
3rd
|
5th
|
7th
|
Description
|
How to read
|
Notes
|
C
|
maj 3
|
per 5
|
maj 7
|
CMaj7, CM7, C△7...
|
C Major Seventh
|  |
maj 3
|
per 5
|
min 7
|
C7
|
C Seventh
|  | |
maj 3
|
per 5
|
maj 6
|
C6
|
C Sixth
|  | |
min 3
|
per 5
|
maj 7
|
CmM7, Cm△7
|
C Minor Major Seventh
|  | |
min 3
|
per 5
|
min 7
|
Cm7
|
C Minor Seventh
|  | |
min 3
|
per 5
|
maj 6
|
Cm6
|
C Minor Sixth
|  | |
aug 3
(per 4)
|
per 5
|
min 7
|
C7sus4
|
C Seventh Suspended Fourth
|  | |
maj 3
|
aug 5
|
min 7
|
Caug7, C7+5, C7+
|
C Augmented Seventh
|  | |
min 3
|
dim 5
|
min 7
|
Cm7b5, CØ
|
C Minor Seventh Flat Five,
C Half Diminished
|  | |
min 3
|
dim 5
|
dim 7
(=maj 6)
|
Cdim, Cdim7, Co
|
C Diminished Seventh,
C Diminished
|  |
How to describe chords
As shown in the figure, the description of the major third and the perfect fifth are omitted.
Basics on Notes, Meters, Rhythms and Tempos
Please refer to the following hyperlinks.
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