Chords

Combinations of 3 and more notes played together.

Chords ​

Combinations of 3 and more notes played together.

6.1 Chord Classification and Notation ​

  1. Reviewed basic intervals — combinations of two sounds.
  2. Chord — a combination of three or more sounds:
  3. Simultaneous combination of three or more musical sounds of different pitch (more specifically, different pitch classes), perceived by the ear as a unified element of pitch verticality.
  4. Different approaches to studying chords:
  5. Interval combination
  6. Intervals relative to the root
  7. Consecutive stacking of intervals
  8. Pitch chroma
  9. 0–11 — A–G# — red — crimson
  10. Logical structure of a chord:
  11. Tertian and non-tertian structure
  12. Components:
  13. Root (fundamental tone)
  14. Chordal consonances — fifth and third
  15. Chordal dissonances — remaining notes, including alterations
  16. By number of notes:
  17. Triad — 3-note chord
  18. Seventh chord — tetrad (4-note chord)
  19. Ninth chord — pentad (5-note chord)
  20. Eleventh chord — hexad (6-note chord)
  21. Thirteenth chord — heptad (7-note chord)
  22. Letter notation for chords:
  23. C, Cm, Cm7, Csus...
  24. Quality
  25. Extensions / Added intervals
  26. Interval alterations
  27. Tessitura
  28. Chord inversions
  29. Fingering

6.2 Triads ​

  1. The simplest triad — fifth chord / power chord — fifth + octave
  2. Three notes stacked in thirds
  3. Interval structure:
  4. Two thirds
  5. Third + fifth
  6. Consonant — stable (tonic)
  7. Major — major triad
  8. Major third + minor third
  9. Major third + perfect fifth
  10. Minor — minor triad
  11. Minor third + major third
  12. Minor third + perfect fifth
  13. Dissonant — unstable
  14. Augmented triad
  15. Major third + major third
  16. Diminished triad
  17. Minor third + minor third
  18. Suspended chords (sus):
  19. Originally — used during transitions between chords
  20. Modern context — replacing the third with a second or fourth to create an open, mildly dissonant sound
  21. sus2 – suspended second
  22. sus4 – suspended fourth
  23. Quartal chord

6.3 Seventh Chords ​

  1. Seventh chord — a 4-note chord built from three stacked thirds.
  2. Most commonly used seventh chords:
  3. m7 — minor triad + minor seventh — softens minor chords, fits naturally within a key
  4. M7 (Maj7) — major triad + major seventh — embellishes the tonic and major scale degrees
  5. 7 (Dominant 7th) — major triad + minor seventh — built on the fifth scale degree (dominant), strongly pulls a fifth downward
  6. Types of seventh chords:
  7. Major seventh (M3 + m3 + M3)
  8. Minor-major seventh (m3 + M3 + M3)
  9. Augmented major seventh (M3 + M3 + m3)
  10. Dominant seventh / Small major (M3 + m3 + m3)
  11. Minor seventh (m3 + M3 + m3)
  12. Half-diminished seventh / Minor seventh flat five (m3 + m3 + M3)
  13. Diminished seventh (m3 + m3 + m3)
  14. Inversions of seventh chords

6.4 Chords of 5 or More Notes ​

  1. 5 notes — Ninth chord — C9
  2. 6 notes — Eleventh chord — C11
  3. 7 notes — Thirteenth chord — C13
  4. Inversions of complex chords
  5. Open and closed voicing
  6. Tone clusters
  7. So What chord
  8. Nonharmonic / Non-chord tones
  9. Melodic patterns with auxiliary and passing tones existed long before classical tonal chords developed — appearing in monophonic and heterophonic textures, as well as modal harmony of Western European Medieval and Renaissance eras. Lacking chords, such phenomena cannot strictly be called "non-chord" tones; thus, Yuri Kholopov in his universal theory of harmony terms them "linear unstable tones." The oldest description of linear instability appears in the Harmonics of Bellermann's Anonymus, written in the early centuries AD.[4] During the thoroughbass / figured bass era, non-chord tones were referred to as "transits."[5] The first comprehensive study of non-chord tones (under the name "secondary tones") in Russian was written by Georgy Catoire (1925). In Russia, non-chord tones were also called "non-harmonic notes."[6]
  10. Types of non-chord tones:
  11. Unaccented:
  12. Preparation — note belonging to the subsequent chord
  13. Neighbor / Auxiliary tone
  14. Escape tone (Échappée)
  15. Passing tone
  16. Accented:
  17. Accented passing tone
  18. Accented neighbor tone
  19. Suspension and retardation