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Chord Help!
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Pumpthrust
New member
Im new to music an im currently stumped, why does D have 4 notes? and not 3 , thanks for the help
Smooth voice leading from that Bm to the D and then a doubled root for the D major chord probably because it sounds good (but not necessary, just mainly to pad the sound of the triad).
I hazard to guess they were playing the Bm with the 3rd (D) in bass to make the switch to D major easier since both chords have two notes in common: Bm with D in bass [D-F#-B] to D [D-F#-A] Its just a one whole step finger move back from B to A.
I would not get hung up on the doubled root though because that extra D note sets nothing up for the following chord (E min triad [E-G-B]) in that progression.
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Pumpthrust
New member
I just want to reiterate: The doubled root of the D major chord (the D an octave higher than the one in bass in the example) is nothing to get hung up on since its only purpose here appears to be for padding the sound of the triad. Sometimes, a musician will eliminate the root of the chord altogether, especially if they are playing chords with lots of extensions and alterations. When I started analyzing tunes, it used to bog me down but now its like, "meh, whatever works".
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Pumpthrust
New member
Thanks for the help, not to be a bother but you no what your talking about could you explain what minor 7th and 9th and major 7th mean? and why isnt there major 9th?
First thing first: GOOGLE UP A PIANO KEYBOARD DIAGRAM. IT WILL MAKE THIS MUCH EASIER TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I AM ABOUT TO GO ALL THE WAY IN LIKE A PRISON NIGGA ON SOME NEW BOOTY, SO LUBE UP AND LETS GO.
Scales are made up of intervals. The basic interval formula for a major scale is:
w-w-h-w-w-w-h or whole step-whole step-halfstep-whole step-whole step-whole step-halfstep
Try it on the keyboard, moving up from C until you land on another C. This works for any major scale.
NOTE:Semitone is the same as halfstep, a whole step is two semitones/halfsteps.
If you were to start from A and play all the white keys until you landed on another A, you will have the natural minor scale (or the relative minor scale of the C major scale, starting from the sixth note of the scale)
The natural minor scale version is w-h-w-w-h-w-w
Remember, the sixth of any major scale will give you it's relative minor, otherwise known as the natural minor scale. For example, the sixth note of the C major scale is A, therefore, A natural minor is our relative minor scale.
A chord is made up of notes derived from a scale as stacked thirds. Thirds are intervals. Intervals are the distance between two notes.
The two ways we discuss intervals are generically (the distance between Bb and C is a 2nd) and by quality (the type of interval-is it a minor interval or major interval? Diminished interval? Augmented interval?)
Using the C major scale, we build a triad (three note chord) by taking every other note:
C D E F G A B C
R 2 3 4 5 6 7
C major triad: R-3-5=C-E-G
Using C as our root note (the starting point from which all the other notes of our chord are built) we move up a third to E, we then move up another third from E to G, which completes our triad.
This gives us a C major triad. Of course we can extend this chord by stacking more thirds, but more on that later.
Another way to think about the anatomy of a chord is to analyze its intervallic contruction . Going back to our C major triad, we can look at it as:
C(3rd)E(3rd)G
But, the important information we need to know is the quality of the intervals between the notes of the chord.
The distance between C and E is a MAJOR 3rd (four semitones), the distance from the root to the third is VERY important as it determines the initial quality of the chord. To finish our triad, we move up a distance of a MINOR 3rd (three semitones) from E to G.
C(maj3rd)E(min3rd)G
So, we can say a major triad is:
Fifth: G
(min3rd)
Third: E
(maj3rd)
Root: C
Looking instead at each note relative to its distance from the root, we see it as:
C to E=Major 3rd (four semitones from the root)
C to G=Perfect 5th (seven semitones from the root)
This corresponds to the C major scale as:
C D E F G A B
E is three notes away from C and G is five notes away from C.
Makes sense?
A minor chord, for example, a C minor triad, is built by (once again) stacking thirds above the root.
Fifth: G
(maj3rd)
Third: Eb
(min3rd)
Root: C
A diminished triad (a minor triad with a fifth lowered (flattened) one semitone) is:
Fifth: Gb
(min3rd)
Third: Eb
(min3rd)
Root: C
Remember, the interval that determines the initial quality of a minor or major chord is the interval between the root and the third of the chord.
Now, we get into tetrachords which is a fancy way of saying "four note chords".
To construct a major 7th chord (using Cmaj7 as an example)
7th: B
(maj3rd)
5th: G
(min3rd)
3rd: E
(maj3rd)
Root: C
To construct a minor 7th chord (using C min7 as an example)
7th: Bb
(min3rd)
5th: G
(maj3rd)
3rd: Eb
(min3rd)
Root: C
The formulas for building these chords are:
Major 7 chord: R 3 5 7
Minor 7 chord: R b3 5 b7
Same if we extend them further:
Major 9 chord: R 3 5 7 9
Minor 9 chord: R b3 5 b7 9
...and so on
More extensions above a triad equal more flavor.
Going back to our C major 7 chord, we can continue stacking thirds all the way up to a 13 chord if we want.
If we look at the C major scale:
1C 2D 3E 4F 5G 6A 7B 8C
When we extend a triad by stacking more intervals, we go 7th, then 9th, then, 11th, then 13th.
When you count past the octave (8th note of the scale) we think of the scale notes as:
8 9 10 11 12 13
C D E F G A
So, whenever someone refers to a note like, say, the 9th, what they mean is the second note of the scale, usually an octave higher. Same with an 11th which is just the fourth note of the scale past the octave, and the 13th which is the sixth note past the octave.
We don't worry about "10ths" or any of that, just the 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.
The outlier is the major and minor 6th chords which are really just triads with a sixth interval above the root, but we treat them the same as triads, but with some added flavor of the sixth and the augmented triads which are major triads with a fifth raised a semitone.
We also have things like add9 chords, which are just triads (usually major) with the second note of the scale (otherwise known as a "9th") tacked on for added flavor, bish. 6/9 chords...same mf deal-a triad with a 6th and 9th slapped on.
Dominant 7th chords are major triads with a flatted seventh (a seventh lowered one semitone).
"Dominant" refers to the function on the chord within a key. For example, "C dominant 7" is written as "C7".
7th: Bb
(min3rd)
5th: G
(min3rd)
3rd: E
(maj3rd)
Root: C
There are half-diminished chords (also known as min7b5 "minor seven flat five" chords"). This is a diminished triad with a seventh flattened two semitones (one whole step)
We also have fully diminished chords, which can be thought of as a diminished triad with a double-flatted 7th (a seventh flattened three semitones).
Before I go further, I need to define what "key" means and the difference between "key" and "scale" (because it drives me batshit insane when I hear/read f**kboys use these terms interchangeably).
Scale: A set of notes grouped in ascending order based off a tonal center (the tonic, otherwise known as "the first note of the scale")
Key: The notes, scales, and chords which correspond to a specific key.
Regarding key:
The chords that make up a key are built off the notes of it's corresponding scale.
Major key chords: Maj Min Min Maj Maj Min Dim
Natural/Relative minor key chords (Remember, the relative minor scale is based off the sixth note of the major scale. For example, the relative minor of the C major scale is A minor):
Min Dim Maj Min Min Maj Maj
When these chords are extended to the 7th:
Major key 7th chords: Maj7 Min7 Min7 Maj7 7(dominant 7) Min7 Half-dim7
Nat. minor key 7th chords: Min7 h-dim7 Maj7 Min7 Min7 Maj7 7
That is enough for now, print this out and study it and if you got any questions...ask.
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A few thing i dont understand it why is a major7 chord the 3 5 and 7th note? like what is a note ? each chord is like 4 7 and 11 semi tones apart right ? why is it 3 5 and 7 ? and also what do you mean by "Minor 7 chord: R b3 5 b7" what does b3 and b7 mean? .... bw thanks for the help i really appriciate it
Pumpthrust
New member
A few thing i dont understand it why is a major7 chord the 3 5 and 7th note? like what is a note ? each chord is like 4 7 and 11 semi tones apart right ? why is it 3 5 and 7 ? and also what do you mean by "Minor 7 chord: R b3 5 b7" what does b3 and b7 mean? .... bw thanks for the help i really appriciate it
1. A triad is considered major based upon the arrangement of intervals used to build it, mainly the interval of a major 3rd from the root of the chord to the third of the chord: R(maj3rd)3rd(min3rd)5th
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_note
3. Not necessarily. This does not apply to minor and diminished triads.
4. Because those are the tones that create a major 7 chord.
5. What I mean by "Minor 7 chord: R b3 5 b7" is Root-flat 3rd-fifth-flat seventh. This is the formula for constructing a minor 7 chord.
It is important that you reread my initial post and practice working out each of the chord and scale formulas in each key. Also, it is a trap to over-analyze the minutia of each meaning...the best I can say is practice and study to fully understand it.