Difference between revisions of "C Major Chord"
m |
m |
||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
Often, a chord spans more than one octave, reusing the same set of notes in a higher octave. For example, C2 E2 G2 C3 E3 is 5 notes, but all 5 notes are found in the C major triad. This is still a C Major chord. | Often, a chord spans more than one octave, reusing the same set of notes in a higher octave. For example, C2 E2 G2 C3 E3 is 5 notes, but all 5 notes are found in the C major triad. This is still a C Major chord. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Inversions == | ||
| + | Usually, the root note of the chord is also the lowest-pitched note. This gives a strong harmonic foundation where the intervals created by the other notes can be clearly heard and felt. However, the third or fifth can also be the lowest-pitched note. This is called an ''inversion''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | {|class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ! Inversion !! Lowest Note | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 0th (no inversion) || root | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 1st || third | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2nd || fifth | ||
| + | |} | ||
== Open Position C Major Chord == | == Open Position C Major Chord == | ||
Revision as of 13:23, 26 March 2014
Intro to Chords
Let's talk about chords. A chord is three or more notes simultaneously. Chords are based around a root note. Other notes are classified in terms of the intervals they create with the root note.
Triads are chords composed of a root note and its third and fifth. There are 4 main types of triads:
| Chord Type | 1st Interval | 2nd Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Major 3rd | Perfect 5th |
| Minor | Minor 3rd | Perfect 5th |
| Diminished | Minor 3rd | Diminished 5th |
| Augmented | Major 3rd | Augmented 5th |
A basic major chord is root, major third, and perfect fifth. For a C Major chord, that's C - E and C - G. The C Major chord is spelled C E G or C - E - G.
Often, a chord spans more than one octave, reusing the same set of notes in a higher octave. For example, C2 E2 G2 C3 E3 is 5 notes, but all 5 notes are found in the C major triad. This is still a C Major chord.
Inversions
Usually, the root note of the chord is also the lowest-pitched note. This gives a strong harmonic foundation where the intervals created by the other notes can be clearly heard and felt. However, the third or fifth can also be the lowest-pitched note. This is called an inversion.
| Inversion | Lowest Note |
|---|---|
| 0th (no inversion) | root |
| 1st | third |
| 2nd | fifth |
Open Position C Major Chord
fig 1 |o|-|-|p|-| E and G |-|i|-|-|-| C |o|-|-|-|-| G |-|-|m|-|-| E |-|-|-|r|-| C |o|-|-|p|-| E and G* 0 1 2 3 4