Lesson 6 - Forming Chords in a Major Key

When the difference between two notes of a chord are built with Whole Step + Whole Step we say the difference is Major.  When the distance is Whole Step + Half Step (or vice versa), we say the difference is Minor.  So more math, a major chord is built with Major 3^rd + Minor 3^rd.

If the chord is built on Minor 3^rd + Major 3^rd, it is a minor chord.  It is the 3^rd note of a scale that gives the note a major or minor quality. 

As a side zen note, major chords sound happier and minors sound sadder.

If you stack up three chord notes throughout the scale, you end up with something that looks like this:

You can run all the math if you like, but I’ll make this easy.  When we talk about the positions of the scale, we use roman numerals.  Capital letters are Major chords, lower case are minor chords, and chords with lower case and with a small “o” are diminished.  The chords built on a scale are said to be in that scale’s “KEY”.  So, here we are dealing with the Key of C.  The first chord is Major (I), the second is minor (ii), the third is minor (iii), the fourth is Major (IV), the fifth is Major (V), the sixth is minor (vi) and the seventh is minor diminished (vii o).  Diminished chords we will visit later.  They are far less common.

So in the key of C, the C, F and G chords are Major.  If we look at the key of G… G, C and D are major.  Remember those chords?  Those are the ones you have been learning!  So if we play those three chords in any combination, we will be playing in the key of G.