I have heard people say that there are only three – or maybe
four – different types of chords (major, minor, dominant...) but I never really understood
this until I started reading the book Improvise for Real by David Reed. What I’ve
written below is in my own words from my own perspective, but it’s based on what I am learning in David’s
fascinating book. (anything said incorrectly is my doing!).
A Major Chord is like
the notes 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 of the major scale.
(notes 4 – 6 – 1 – 3 also follow this same pattern).
A Minor Chord is like
notes 2 – 4 – 6 – 1 of the major scale.
(notes 3 – 5 – 7 – 2 and notes 6 – 1 – 3 – 5 also follow this same
pattern).
A Dominant Chord is
like notes 5 – 7 – 2 – 4 of the major scale.
A Minor-Flat-5 Chord
is like notes 7 – 2 – 4 – 6 of the major scale.
this image has nothing to do with this article! |
To get a better sense of the differences between these chords, play a G note on your
instrument and assume that it is note 1 or note 4 of the major scale. Now play notes G – B – D – F#. That is the sound of a major chord.
Now play a G note on your instrument and assume that it is
note 2, note 3 or note 6 of the major scale.
Then play notes G – Bb – D – F.
That is the sound of a minor chord.
Now play a G note on your instrument and assume that it is
note 5 of the major scale. Then play
notes G – B – D – F. That is the sound a
dominant chord.
Now play a G note on your instrument and assume that it is
note 7 of the major scale. Then play
notes G – Bb – Db – F. That is the sound
of a minor-flat-5 chord.
Does that make sense?
Try applying this same inversion formula to the major, minor and minor-flat-5 chords.
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