Easy Chord Construction Formula
Memorize Formulas, Not Chords!
It is not necessary to memorize hundreds of chords. All you need to do is to
learn the formula for making each chord type, and create the chord needed using
the appropriate formula. This saves brain power from being wasted on unnecessary
effort. It also allows gives you the true understanding of chord-construction,
so if you later want to modify the chord, (make inversions) you will know what
you are doing.
You Don't Need to Know All Your Scales!
The way chords are usually taught are by first introducing scales. It is
typically explained that a minor chord will use the 1, b3 (flat 3rd) and 5.
(This terminology refers to the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree of the scale.) A
diminished chord will use the 1, b3 and b5. The reason this method is so slow to
learn and to apply is that the person must first be fluent in all twelve major
and minor scales! It's not that this is bad, it's just that it is NOT NECESSARY
in order to play chords!
Steps Make Thirds
Steps make thirds and thirds make chords.
Before you can understand chords, you should first understand thirds. The half
step is the interval we will use to make thirds. Half steps are the smallest
distance between any two notes. When you play all the half steps it is called
the chromatic scale. It doesn't matter if the notes are black or white. For
example, the distance between C and C# is a half step. E to F is also a half
step.
The following formulas explain how to make thirds:
3 half steps = minor third (m3)
4 half steps = major third (M3)
Thirds Drill
Practice making minor and major thirds on the keyboard. Select any note at
random and then count three half steps higher to make a minor third and four
half steps higher to make a major third. Practice making 12 minor thirds and 12
major thirds, starting on each note of the chromatic scale. This drill may take
between one day and several weeks to master before you feel comfortable. Do not
go on until you feel comfortable at making major and minor thirds. In fact, each
of the following steps is built on the previous. Try to master each step before
going on.
Thirds Make Chords
Now you are ready to learn about how chords are made. When you stack thirds
together, a chord is created. The chords are always built from left to right on
the keyboard. The name of the chord is based on the first note of the chord
which is called the root. A chord is technically defined as 3 or more notes
arranged by thirds. A triad is a chord with only three notes.
Chord Formulas
There are four basic triad chords. All more advanced chords are built on these.
So, it is crucial that you understand the following formulas before you try to
make more complex chords:
M3 + m3 = Major Triad
m3 + M3 = Minor Triad
m3 + m3 = Diminished Triad
M3 + M3 = Augmented Triad
Chord Drill
On every note of the chromatic scale, ascending and descending, build the
following chords: Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented, Major in root position
in with any fingers, one hand at a time. Apply the above formulas, stacking
thirds on top of one another to create each chord. Say the name of each chord
before you play it. For example:
Say C Major then play it
Say C Minor then play it
Say C Diminished then play it
Say C Augmented then play it
Say C Major then play it
Then do the same on C#, and continue to C, one octave higher. Then descend.
Identify the chords which start on the black notes by their sharp names going up
and by their flat names going down. This will help you recognize them either way
and become familiar with them. Soon, you may notice a pattern of changes as you
go from one chord to the next. For example, from major to minor, the middle note
of the chord moves down by half step. The reason we return to the Major chord at
the end of each cycle is so that it is easier to go to the next key.
Learn the Chord Symbols
If Eb is our generic chord, the symbols for each triad would look like this:
Eb Major = Eb
Eb Minor = Ebmin or Ebm or Eb-
Eb Diminished = Ebdim or Eb°
Eb Augmented = Ebaug or Eb+
Play Songs Using Chords
After you have become familiar with basic triads, you are ready to actually play
the chords as they occur in songs. Get a songbook or a fake book and notice
above the musical notation are chord symbols. Start playing these chords by
their symbols as they occur in the music. If some of the chords in the music
have more advanced symbols like 7 or 9, for now, just delete this part of
the symbol and play the elements that you currently know how to build. For
example, if the chord symbol says Cm9, just play C minor.
Inversion Drill
Sometimes, chords sound better when you play the notes of the chord in a
different order than the order in which they were created. The original order is
called root position (For example: a C chord contains the individual notes,
C-E-G.) If you take the lowest note (C) and place it one octave higher, you end
up with first inversion (E-G-C.) If you take the new lowest note (E) and place
it one octave higher, you end up with second inversion (G-C-E).
Play the following sequence on all major and minor triads, for two octaves
ascending and descending:
Root-1st-2nd-Root-1st-2nd-Root. (Then reverse)
Seventh Chord Formulas
Most common 7th chords:
M3 + m3 (Major Triad) + M3 = Major Seven Ebmaj7
M3 + m3 (Major Triad) + m3 = Seven Eb7
m3 + M3 (Minor Triad) + m3 = Minor Seven Ebmin7, Ebm7, Eb-7
m3 + m3 (Diminished Triad) + m3 = Diminished Seven Ebdim7, Eb°7