Learn all about major and minor chords in this lesson! Two videos accompany this lesson, as well as two handouts. The video outline is below:

Video outline

I. Video 1: Major Triads

What is a triad?
1. A triad is a chord.
2. tri = 3. A triad has exactly 3 notes.
3. Root Position
  1. This means the name of the chord is the lowest note of the chord. For example, if you are playing a C Major chord, if you put the C as the lowest note of the chord, that is root position.
  2. Remember: root of a tree = at the bottom.
  3. All of the other notes are played in 3rds.
Major Triads
1. You can play a Major chord starting on ANY note.
  1. There are 12 Major chords.
  2. How to construct a major triad.
    1. Count 4 half steps from the root to the middle note.
    2. Count 3 have steps from the middle note to the upper note.
    3. Remember, don't start your counting on the note you are already on!
    4. You can use this formula to build any major chord on the piano.
2. Some triads are composed entirely of white keys on the piano, others are a combination of white and black keys on the piano.
  1. C Major, F Major, and G Major: all white keys on the piano
  2. D Major, E Major, and A Major: White/Black/White keys on the piano
  3. Db Major, Eb Major, Ab Major: Black/White/Black keys on the piano
  4. F# Major: All black keys
  5. B Major: White/Black/Black keys on the piano
  6. Bb Major: Black/White/White keys on the piano

II. Video 2: Minor Triads

They sound sadder! Only one note is different. The middle note is lowered a 1/2 step
Formula for minor: 3 half steps from the root to the middle note, 4 half steps from the middle note to the upper note.
Homework: Play all of the minor triads on the piano!
In root position, triads should be fingered 1-3-5 for RH, 5-3-1 for LH

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