Building Major & Minor Chords
In Western Music, basic chords are comprised of three notes known as the
ROOT, THIRD, and FIFTH. These three notes together are
known as a TRIAD. The root is the note for which the chord is
named. For example; the root of a G7 is G, the root of C#m9 is C#,
and so forth. The alphabetical third and the fifth are acquired by skipping a note and
taking the next. For example, to build a chord on a root of D, skip
the E, take the F as the third, skip the G, and take the A as the fifth.
The next consideration is to apply a formula which will determine the QUALITY of the chord. The four qualities are MAJOR, MINOR, DIMINISHED, and AUGMENTED. Each has its own distinctive sound and mood. Each formula describes the distance between the root and third and the distance between the third and fifth. Here are the formulae for the four qualities of triads:
Major: ROOT - 2 steps - THIRD - 1 1/2 steps - FIFTH
Minor: ROOT - 1 1/2 steps - THIRD - 2 steps - FIFTH
Diminished: ROOT - 1 1/2 steps - THIRD - 1 1/2 steps - FIFTH
Augmented: ROOT - 2 steps - THIRD - 2 steps - FIFTH
There are three steps in building a triad;
STEP 1: Establish the ROOT
STEP 2: Find the letter name of the THIRD and FIFTH
STEP 3: Adjust the THIRD and/or FIFTH, if necessary, to fit the formula
Example 1:
Build a D Major
STEP 1: D
STEP 2: D F A
STEP 3: D to F is only 1 1/2 steps, but must be 2 steps to fit the formula and, therefore, the F must be raised a 1/2 step to F#. F# to A is already 1 1/2 steps, so no adjustment is necessary.
Final Answer: D F# A
Example 2:
Build a B Minor
Build a D Major
STEP 1: B
STEP 2: B D F
STEP 3: B to D is already 1 1/2 steps, so no adjustment is necessary. D to F is only 1 1/2 steps, but must be 2 steps to fit the formula and, therefore, the F must be raised a 1/2 step to F#
Final Answer: B D F#
Example 3:
Build a G Diminished
STEP 1: G
STEP 2: G B D
STEP 3: G to B is 2 steps, but must be 1 1/2 steps to fit the formula and therefore the B must be lowered to Bb. Bb to D is 2 steps, but must be 1 1/2 steps to fit the formula and therefore the D must be lowered to Db.
Final Answer: G Bb Db
Example 4:
Build a C Augmented
STEP 1: C
STEP 2: C E G
STEP 3: C to E is already 2 steps, so no adjustment is necessary. E to G is only 1 1/2 steps, but must be 2 steps to fit the formula and, therefore, the G must be raised a 1/2 step to G#.
Final Answer: C E G#
Chord Building FAQ's:
Q: G# Major is spelled G# B# D#. Can I call the B# a C to make it simpler?
A: While B# and C are exactly the same pitch (that relationship is known as enharmonic), it would be incorrect to call it C because B# is the third and C would be the fourth. Triads are always spelled with a root, third, and fifth.
Q: Instead of raising the third, couldn't you just lower the root?
A: Roots are never altered because they are the notes for which chords are named.
Q: Can I reverse Steps 2 & 3?
A: Yes, as long as your answer contains an alphabetical root, third, and fifth.
The next consideration is to apply a formula which will determine the QUALITY of the chord. The four qualities are MAJOR, MINOR, DIMINISHED, and AUGMENTED. Each has its own distinctive sound and mood. Each formula describes the distance between the root and third and the distance between the third and fifth. Here are the formulae for the four qualities of triads:
Major: ROOT - 2 steps - THIRD - 1 1/2 steps - FIFTH
Minor: ROOT - 1 1/2 steps - THIRD - 2 steps - FIFTH
Diminished: ROOT - 1 1/2 steps - THIRD - 1 1/2 steps - FIFTH
Augmented: ROOT - 2 steps - THIRD - 2 steps - FIFTH
There are three steps in building a triad;
STEP 1: Establish the ROOT
STEP 2: Find the letter name of the THIRD and FIFTH
STEP 3: Adjust the THIRD and/or FIFTH, if necessary, to fit the formula
Example 1:
Build a D Major
STEP 1: D
STEP 2: D F A
STEP 3: D to F is only 1 1/2 steps, but must be 2 steps to fit the formula and, therefore, the F must be raised a 1/2 step to F#. F# to A is already 1 1/2 steps, so no adjustment is necessary.
Final Answer: D F# A
Example 2:
Build a B Minor
Build a D Major
STEP 1: B
STEP 2: B D F
STEP 3: B to D is already 1 1/2 steps, so no adjustment is necessary. D to F is only 1 1/2 steps, but must be 2 steps to fit the formula and, therefore, the F must be raised a 1/2 step to F#
Final Answer: B D F#
Example 3:
Build a G Diminished
STEP 1: G
STEP 2: G B D
STEP 3: G to B is 2 steps, but must be 1 1/2 steps to fit the formula and therefore the B must be lowered to Bb. Bb to D is 2 steps, but must be 1 1/2 steps to fit the formula and therefore the D must be lowered to Db.
Final Answer: G Bb Db
Example 4:
Build a C Augmented
STEP 1: C
STEP 2: C E G
STEP 3: C to E is already 2 steps, so no adjustment is necessary. E to G is only 1 1/2 steps, but must be 2 steps to fit the formula and, therefore, the G must be raised a 1/2 step to G#.
Final Answer: C E G#
Chord Building FAQ's:
Q: G# Major is spelled G# B# D#. Can I call the B# a C to make it simpler?
A: While B# and C are exactly the same pitch (that relationship is known as enharmonic), it would be incorrect to call it C because B# is the third and C would be the fourth. Triads are always spelled with a root, third, and fifth.
Q: Instead of raising the third, couldn't you just lower the root?
A: Roots are never altered because they are the notes for which chords are named.
Q: Can I reverse Steps 2 & 3?
A: Yes, as long as your answer contains an alphabetical root, third, and fifth.