Minor Chords

Xabiton

Xabiton

Cupcake God
Ive been doing some reading on piano and I get everything so far but the book im reading doesnt cover minors too well. Im hoping that someone can either break them down a bit for me or send me a link to where i can find more info on them. I believe minor chords come in 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths correct? And u lower the key a half step to make it a minor of the 3rd, 5th, or 7th. Is that correct? Im kinda confused and Id also like to learn more chords. Thank u for ur help
 
Take, for example, the A minor chord: A, C, and E. Am7 would be A, C, E, and G. For the standard minor chord, you have your root, the minor third (3 half steps from the root), and the perfect fifth (7 half steps up). For the standard Xm7, you add the minor 7th (10 half steps from the root).

If you were to have the root, minor third, and diminished 5th (A, C, Eb), you would have a diminished chord. Root, minor 3rd, dim5, and a double flatted 7th (A, C, Eb, Gb), gives you a really creepy sound (all those stacked minor thirds, and tritones (diminished 5th intervals). I believe it is what is meant by, A07, (where the '0' has a slash through it.

In addition, you could have a minor 9th that would include the 9th of the tonic: A, C, E, G, and B. And beyond that you're pretty much in jazz territory (i.e. anything goes).

You might find musictheory.net worth a read, for more basic theory background. Have fun.
 
Thanks that makes sense I guess I got my chords all messed up I always thought A,C,E was a major chord lol. I've got mrore reading to do.
 
Hi Xabiton,

I've given additional information on intervals and chords. I have to apologize though, because the HTML has messed up the alignment of the columns.

An interval is the distance between two pitches, or can be a two note chord.
The interval list below gives the number of half steps, and the common (and not so common) names.
However, it should not be thought that common chord names have all the same types of intervals. By that I mean a diminished 7th chord does not have a diminished 3rd.

* - Unisons, fourths, fifths, and octaves are assumed perfect unless otherwise designated, and the 'P' is not necessary.

Half Interval Alternate
Steps Name Abbrv. Name
====================================
0 Perfect P1* Diminished
Unison Second
____________________________________
1 Minor m2 Augmented
Second Unison
____________________________________
2 Major M2 Diminished
Second Third
____________________________________
3 Minor m3 Augmented
Third Second
____________________________________
4 Major M3 Diminished
Third Fourth
____________________________________
5 Perfect P4* Augmented
Fourth Third
____________________________________
6 Augmented A4 Diminished
Fourth d5 Fifth
____________________________________
7 Perfect P5* Diminished
Fifth Sixth
____________________________________
8 Minor m6 Augmented
Sixth Fifth
____________________________________
9 Major M6 Diminished
Sixth Seventh
____________________________________
10 Minor m7 Augmented
Seventh Sixth
____________________________________
11 Major M7 Diminished
Seventh Octave
____________________________________
12 Perfect P8* Augmented
Octave Seventh
____________________________________

NOTE 1: The notes of the chords below are all given relative to the root.

NOTE 2: Modern chord notation usually notates the diminished fifth interval as b5 (flat 5th).
The augmented (raised) fifth is often denoted using a # or +.

NOTE 3: Intervals larger than an octave, called compound intervals can be found by adding 7 to the 'simple' interval.
For instance, a ninth is the same as a second (2 + 7 = 9). A fourth is the same as an eleventh (4 + 7 = 11), and a 6th is equal to a thirteenth (6 + 7 = 13).
However, for a chord to qualify as a 9th, 11th, or 13th, it usually should be the highest note, and the root, third and 7th should all be present.
You don't have to fulfill the above conditions, but then the chords will not function or sound like 9ths, 11ths, or 13ths.
The ninth is optional in 11th and 13th chords, and the 11th is also optional in 13th chords.

NOTE 4: 'Dominant' is usually assumed for 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th chords.

NOTE 5: The dominant chords are already 'tense' due to the diminished 5th between the third and the minor/flat seventh. Therefore, the 5ths and ninths of the dominants are often diminished (flatted/lowered) or augmented (sharped/raised).

Chord
Name
======================================
Major
triad 1 M3 5
______________________________________
Minor
Triad 1 m3 5
______________________________________
Augmented
Triad 1 M3 A5
______________________________________
Major
Seventh 1 M3 5 M7
______________________________________
Dominant
Seventh 1 M3 5 m7
______________________________________
Minor
Seventh 1 m3 5 m7
______________________________________
Minor
Sixth 1 m3 5 M6
______________________________________
Major Seventh
Flat Fifth 1 M3 d5 M7
______________________________________
Dominant Seventh
Flat Fifth 1 M3 d5 m7
______________________________________
Minor Seventh
Flat Fifth 1 m3 d5 m7
______________________________________
Dominant Seventh
Augmented Fifth 1 M3 A5 m7
______________________________________
Major
Ninth 1 M3 5 M7 M9
______________________________________
Dominant
Ninth 1 M3 5 m7 M9
______________________________________
Minor
Ninth 1 m3 5 m7 M9
______________________________________
Dominant
Eleventh 1 M3 5 m7 M9 11
______________________________________
Minor
Eleventh 1 m3 5 m7 M9 11
______________________________________
Major
Thirteenth 1 M3 5 M7 M9 11 13
______________________________________
Dominant
Thirteenth 1 M3 5 m7 M9 11 13
______________________________________
Minor
Thirteenth 1 m3 5 m7 M9 11 13
______________________________________
-Mike
 
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The circle with a stoke diagonally through it is called a half-diminished. Basically all it is, is the diminished chord with a flattened seventh (as opposed to the double flat seventh)

So 'A half-diminished' would be A, C, Eb, Gb

and 'A Diminished 7th' (Adim7) would be A, C, Eb, Gbb
 
James McFadyen said:
The circle with a stoke diagonally through it is called a half-diminished. Basically all it is, is the diminished chord with a flattened seventh (as opposed to the double flat seventh)

So 'A half-diminished' would be A, C, Eb, Gb

and 'A Diminished 7th' (Adim7) would be A, C, Eb, Gbb
Click to expand...

Muchos gracias. It's been a while since I've needed to remember that... Thanks.
 
yo man check out free_online_piano_lessons.com it has some good basic fudamentals. there is also a link to a site called chordhouse.com (you could try and go straight there.) at the chordhouse site you can look up almost any chord you want and any scale you want and it will show you where it is on a diagram.

hope that helps peace.
 
Some good replies there. Theres a very simple formula too if you are unsure about how to create certain triad chords.

MAJOR: 4-3 semitones
MINOR: 3-4 semitones
DIMINISHED: 3-3 semitones
AUGMENTED: 4-4 semitones
 
Delphine said:
Some good replies there. Theres a very simple formula too if you are unsure about how to create certain triad chords.

MAJOR: 4-3 semitones
MINOR: 3-4 semitones
DIMINISHED: 3-3 semitones
AUGMENTED: 4-4 semitones
Click to expand...
Oooh I like that, a nice concise way of remembering them, thanks for that.
 
Delphine said:
Some good replies there. Theres a very simple formula too if you are unsure about how to create certain triad chords.

MAJOR: 4-3 semitones
MINOR: 3-4 semitones
DIMINISHED: 3-3 semitones
AUGMENTED: 4-4 semitones
Click to expand...

hi, sorry im new to music theory. can you elaborate on this? im not quite sure what you mean. piano fingerings perhaps?
 
root note + 4 semitones = 3rd + 3 semitones = 5th. count up one key for each semitone and put your fingers on the root, 3rd and 5th if i'm not mistaken (major)
 
Yeah, like Darko just pointed out.

Its just a simple way of getting familiar with Major, Minor, Dim and Aug chords.

eg: EMaj: E,G#,B

E is the root, 4 semitones up we find G#, another 3 semitones and we find B.

So the pattern 4/3 is related to semitone steps.

Once you grasp that, its very easy to start building 7th chords,etc etc.
 
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