Piano for Beginners: The Different Kinds of Chords

In the last article, we read about piano chords. Future topics will include on how to create piano chords and why we should use them. However, we will try to recap what we have learned with the last blog post. 

Define Chord

A chord is playing three or more notes together at the same time.  However, it is important to take note that chords have differing notes. We have around six various kinds of chords and each of these kinds has its specific use in the world of music.

The root note is the most significant note in the chord. The chord obtains its label from this tone. An example of this is the C major chord and this is constructed on the root tone C.

The piano has 12 unique notes that you can build chords on, but this article will focus on C.

The following are the various kinds of chords:

The major chord

The following notes compose the C major chord:

Music has major chords as the most common chords. C, E, and G are the notes in the C major chord.

The minor chord

The following notes compose the C minor chord:

The minor chord and major chord have two similar tones. What makes the major and minor chord different is the middle note. Instead of the E, Eb is used. Minor chords are often tagged as the sad chord.

The dominant-7 chord

The following notes compose the C dominant-7 chord:

It is probable to have more than three notes in a chord. Major and minor chords can be extended with additional notes. However, the chord still stays the same as major or minor.

The dominant-7 chord or plain “7 chord” occurs by adding the fourth note of Bb to the C major chord.

The diminished chord

The following notes compose the C diminished chord:

The C diminished chord is similar with the C minor chord but the G becomes Gb.  You can create a diminished chord by dropping the two top notes of a major chord.

The augmented chord

The following notes compose the C augmented chord:

Notes are can be both lowered and raised. The G is raised to a G# to create an augmented chord.  An augmented chord works similarly with a dominant-7 chord. You can interchange one with the other.

The suspended chord

The following notes compose the C suspended chord:

The major chord becomes suspended if the E is played with an F. A suspended chord creates tension and is resolved by playing a major chord.

Hope this article helps you learn more about piano chords.

Look for the next article.