Chord Symbols

Understanding Chord Symbols and Harmony

Chord symbols tell us about the harmony of a piece. You might have noticed in the past couple of tracks that there are little letters above the stave, and that's exactly what these are.

What Are Chord Symbols?

• Chord Symbols: They allow you to track the harmony of the piece.
• Play Along: Other harmonic instruments will be able to play along with you.

Exploring Chords on the Piano

Chords are made up of stacked thirds in their most basic sense.

Major Chords

• Example: A C major chord
  • Composed of: C up to E, and then E to G.

Minor Chords

• Example: An A minor chord
  • Composed of: A up to C, and then C up to E.

Finding Major and Minor Chords

• Major Chords:

  • Take a major third on the bottom (e.g., C to E) and a minor third on top (e.g., E to G).
  • Formula: Major third + Minor third = Major chord.

• Minor Chords:

  • Take a minor third on the bottom (e.g., A to C) and a major third on top (e.g., C to E).
  • Formula: Minor third + Major third = Minor chord.

Emotional Qualities of Chords

Think back to the major and minor modalities we discussed earlier:

• Major Chords: Sound lovely and uplifting.
• Minor Chords: Have a more melancholy and sad quality.

Chord Symbols Recap

When looking at chord symbols, remember:

• Major Chords: Will just have the letter (e.g., C).
• Minor Chords: Will have a little "m" next to the letter (e.g., CM represents C minor, or AM represents A minor).

For now, focus on understanding what a chord is and what these symbols mean. We will learn more about them a bit later on.