Understanding Chords
What You’ll Learn
Section titled “What You’ll Learn”A chord is three or more notes played at the same time. Chords are the harmonic foundation of nearly every song you will ever play. This handout explains what chords are, how they are built from scales, why some sound happy (major) and others sound sad (minor), and how this all connects to the chord shapes your fingers are learning on the fretboard.
The Concept Explained
Section titled “The Concept Explained”What Is a Chord?
Section titled “What Is a Chord?”When you strum your guitar with fingers pressing specific frets, several strings ring out together. That combination of notes sounding simultaneously is a chord. The specific notes you choose determine the chord’s name and its mood.
The simplest chords use three different notes and are called triads (from “tri” meaning three). Even though you might strum five or six strings for a guitar chord, only three distinct note names are involved — some notes are simply repeated at different octaves.
Intervals — The Distance Between Notes
Section titled “Intervals — The Distance Between Notes”Before understanding how chords are built, you need one concept: the interval, which is the distance between two notes.
The distances are measured in half steps (one fret on the guitar) and whole steps (two frets):
| Interval Name | Distance | Example from C |
|---|---|---|
| Minor 2nd | 1 half step (1 fret) | C to C#/Db |
| Major 2nd | 2 half steps (2 frets) | C to D |
| Minor 3rd | 3 half steps (3 frets) | C to Eb |
| Major 3rd | 4 half steps (4 frets) | C to E |
| Perfect 5th | 7 half steps (7 frets) | C to G |
The two intervals that matter most for building basic chords are the major 3rd (4 half steps) and the minor 3rd (3 half steps).
Building a Major Chord
Section titled “Building a Major Chord”A major chord is built from three notes called the root, the 3rd, and the 5th. Starting from the root note:
- Root — the starting note (the chord is named after this note)
- Major 3rd — 4 half steps above the root
- Perfect 5th — 7 half steps above the root
Example — C major chord:
- Root: C
- Major 3rd: E (C → C# → D → D# → E = 4 half steps)
- Perfect 5th: G (C → C# → D → D# → E → F → F# → G = 7 half steps)
The notes in C major are: C - E - G
On your guitar, the open C chord shape places these three notes across five strings:
Notes: E(e string) - C(B string) - G(G string) - E(D string) - C(A string). Only three note names appear: C, E, and G — the triad. Some are repeated at different octaves.
Building a Minor Chord
Section titled “Building a Minor Chord”A minor chord has a minor 3rd instead of a major 3rd. That single note is one half step (one fret) lower:
- Root — same
- Minor 3rd — 3 half steps above the root (instead of 4)
- Perfect 5th — 7 half steps above the root (same as major)
Example — Am chord (A minor):
- Root: A
- Minor 3rd: C (A → A# → B → C = 3 half steps)
- Perfect 5th: E (A → A# → B → C → C# → D → D# → E = 7 half steps)
The notes in Am are: A - C - E
On your guitar (first learned in Session 3):
Notes: E(e string) - C(B string) - A(G string) - E(D string) - A(A string). Three note names: A, C, E.
Major vs Minor — The One-Fret Difference
Section titled “Major vs Minor — The One-Fret Difference”The entire difference between a major chord and a minor chord is one note — the 3rd — shifted by one fret:
- Major 3rd = 4 half steps = happy, bright sound
- Minor 3rd = 3 half steps = sad, dark sound
Listen to the difference: play E major (Session 5), then play Em (Session 2). The only note that changes is the G#/Ab (major 3rd) becoming G (minor 3rd) — one fret lower on string 3.
E major has G# on the G string (fret 1 = major 3rd). Em has G on the G string (open = minor 3rd). One finger lifted. One fret difference. The entire mood changes.
Power Chords — Neither Major Nor Minor
Section titled “Power Chords — Neither Major Nor Minor”A power chord (introduced in Session 9) uses only two notes: the root and the 5th. It skips the 3rd entirely. Without a 3rd, the chord is neither major nor minor — it is neutral and strong. This is why power chords work so well in rock and metal: they are raw and aggressive, without the sweetness of major or the sadness of minor.
E5 power chord:
Notes: E(6th string, root) - B(5th string fret 2, 5th). Only two note names: E and B.
Chord Naming System
Section titled “Chord Naming System”Now you can decode any basic chord name:
| Chord Name | Root | Type | Example Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Major (default — no modifier) | C - E - G |
| Am | A | Minor (lowercase “m”) | A - C - E |
| Em | E | Minor | E - G - B |
| D | D | Major | D - F# - A |
| G | G | Major | G - B - D |
| E5 | E | Power chord (“5” = root + 5th only) | E - B |
When you see just a letter (like “G” or “D”), it means major. When you see a letter followed by “m” (like “Am” or “Em”), it means minor.
On Your Guitar
Section titled “On Your Guitar”Exercise 1: Hear the Major vs Minor Difference
Section titled “Exercise 1: Hear the Major vs Minor Difference”Play these chord pairs back to back, strumming each chord four times. Listen to the mood change:
Pair 1: E major → Em
Strum E major four times, then lift your finger from string 3 and strum Em four times. Major sounds bright; minor sounds dark.
Pair 2: A major → Am
A major (introduced in Session 8) vs Am (from Session 3). Again, one note shifts by one fret and the whole feel changes.
Exercise 2: Find the Notes in Your Chords
Section titled “Exercise 2: Find the Notes in Your Chords”Play the Em chord. While holding the shape, pluck each string individually and name the note:
Notes per string: E(e) - B(B) - G(G) - E(D) - B(A) - E(E). The three note names are E, G, B — the E minor triad. You are playing those three notes across all six strings.
Exercise 3: Power Chord — Hear the Neutrality
Section titled “Exercise 3: Power Chord — Hear the Neutrality”Play the E5 power chord (from Session 9):
- Finger 1 on fret 2, string 5
- String 6 open
- Only strum strings 6 and 5 (mute the rest)
Now compare: play E major, then Em, then E5. Major is bright, minor is dark, power chord is neither — just raw power. This is the backbone of every rock riff in the course.
Quick Quiz
Section titled “Quick Quiz”1. How many different note names make up a basic triad chord?
2. What is the difference between a major chord and a minor chord?
3. In a chord name, what does a lowercase “m” mean (as in “Am”)?
4. A power chord like E5 uses which two components of a chord?
5. The notes in a G major chord are G, B, and D. What interval is from G to B?
Answers
Section titled “Answers”- Three different note names (the root, 3rd, and 5th).
- The 3rd is different: a major chord has a major 3rd (4 half steps above root), a minor chord has a minor 3rd (3 half steps above root). Everything else is the same.
- It means “minor” — the chord has a minor 3rd, giving it a darker, sadder sound.
- The root and the 5th only. No 3rd, which is why it sounds neither major nor minor.
- A major 3rd (4 half steps: G → G# → A → A# → B).
Key Takeaway
Section titled “Key Takeaway”Every chord is built from a root, a 3rd, and a 5th. The 3rd determines the chord’s mood: major 3rd for bright/happy, minor 3rd for dark/sad, and no 3rd at all for the neutral power of a power chord. When you form a chord shape on the fretboard, you are arranging these three notes across your strings. Now when you see “Am” on a song sheet, you know it means A-C-E — and your fingers know where to put them.