Session 5: Complete Chord Vocabulary
Overview
Section titled “Overview”- Phase: 1 — Foundation Expansion
- Duration: 75 minutes
- Prerequisites: Completed Sessions 1-4. Can play 9 major scales and 4 harmonic minor scales (2 octaves, hands together). Knows 6 triads from beginner course (C, F, G, Am, Dm, Em) with C and Am inversions.
Learning Objectives
Section titled “Learning Objectives”By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Play all 12 major triads in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion
- Play all 12 minor triads in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion
- Build and play diminished triads (B dim, F# dim) and augmented triads (C aug, Ab aug)
- Demonstrate smooth voice leading between chord inversions
- Perform a chord inversion medley that cycles through all triad types
Materials Needed
Section titled “Materials Needed”- Casio CT-X9000IN keyboard (Grand Piano tone — Tone 000)
- Metronome set to 60 BPM
- This lesson plan open beside you
Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)
Section titled “Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)”Scale Rotation (5 minutes)
Section titled “Scale Rotation (5 minutes)”Play each scale 2 octaves, hands together, 1 time at 60 BPM. Choose 5 scales:
- D major
- Ab major
- A harmonic minor
- D harmonic minor
- One scale of your choice (try the one you find most difficult)
Chord Review from Beginner Course (3 minutes)
Section titled “Chord Review from Beginner Course (3 minutes)”Play these 6 triads as block chords, RH, 4 beats each:
Now play C major in three positions:
- Root position: C(1) E(3) G(5)
- 1st inversion: E(1) G(2) C(5)
- 2nd inversion: G(1) C(3) E(5)
You learned root position and 1st inversion in the beginner course. Today you will add 2nd inversion and extend this knowledge to ALL 24 triads.
”Moonlight Sonata” Quick Review (2 minutes)
Section titled “”Moonlight Sonata” Quick Review (2 minutes)”Play measures 1-4, both hands, with pedal. Is the triplet pattern even?
Theory / Harmony (10 minutes)
Section titled “Theory / Harmony (10 minutes)”Chord Inversions — The Full Picture
Section titled “Chord Inversions — The Full Picture”A triad has 3 notes. Those 3 notes can be arranged in 3 different orders:
C major triad — 3 positions:
| Position | Notes | Sound | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C-E-G | Stable, grounded | Starting and ending chords |
| 1st inversion | E-G-C | Lighter, flowing | Smoother bass line movement |
| 2nd inversion | G-C-E | Suspended, open | Passing chords, cadences |
Why inversions matter: When you change chords, using inversions keeps your hand close to the same position instead of jumping around the keyboard. This is called voice leading — moving smoothly from one chord to the next with minimal motion.
Example of good voice leading:
- C major (root): C-E-G
- F major (2nd inversion): C-F-A — only 2 notes move, and only by a small interval
- G major (1st inversion): B-D-G — again, smooth movement
Compare that to playing all three in root position: C-E-G → F-A-C → G-B-D — your hand jumps all over the keyboard.
The Four Triad Qualities
Section titled “The Four Triad Qualities”| Quality | Formula | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th | Bright, happy, stable | C-E-G |
| Minor | Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th | Sad, dark, emotional | C-Eb-G |
| Diminished | Root + Minor 3rd + Diminished 5th | Tense, unstable, spooky | B-D-F |
| Augmented | Root + Major 3rd + Augmented 5th | Dreamy, unsettled, floating | C-E-G# |
Play each of these on your keyboard. Listen to the dramatic difference in mood:
- C major: C(1) E(3) G(5) — happy
- C minor: C(1) Eb(3) G(5) — sad
- B diminished: B(1) D(3) F(5) — tense
- C augmented: C(1) E(3) G#(5) — floating
Technique (15 minutes)
Section titled “Technique (15 minutes)”All 12 Major Triads — Root Position, 1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion
Section titled “All 12 Major Triads — Root Position, 1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion”Play each triad in all three positions with your RH. Hold each chord for 4 beats at 60 BPM. Move through all 12 keys.
Do not try to memorise all 36 shapes at once. Focus on understanding the pattern:
- Root position: 1-3-5 (skip one key between each note)
- 1st inversion: take the bottom note and move it to the top
- 2nd inversion: take the bottom note of 1st inversion and move it to the top
All 12 Minor Triads — Three Positions
Section titled “All 12 Minor Triads — Three Positions”Play each with RH, same process:
Diminished and Augmented Triads
Section titled “Diminished and Augmented Triads”Diminished triads — built by stacking two minor 3rds:
Play each and notice the tense, unstable quality. Diminished chords want to “resolve” — to move to a more stable chord. Play B dim then C major. Feel the relief?
Augmented triads — built by stacking two major 3rds:
Play each and notice the dreamy, floating quality. Augmented chords sound like a question waiting for an answer.
Repertoire / Genre (25 minutes)
Section titled “Repertoire / Genre (25 minutes)”Chord Inversion Medley — Full Arrangement
Section titled “Chord Inversion Medley — Full Arrangement”This medley demonstrates smooth voice leading by cycling through chords using inversions. Instead of jumping across the keyboard, each chord connects to the next with minimal hand movement.
Tempo: 72 BPM | Time Signature: 4/4 | Key: C major (with modulations)
Right Hand — Block Chords (each held for 1 full measure = 4 beats):
Left Hand — Bass Notes:
Each measure gets a single whole note in the bass (LH):
Both Hands Together — Practice Strategy:
- RH alone, measures 1-8 — Focus on smooth transitions. The goal is minimal hand movement between chords. Play at 60 BPM.
- RH alone, measures 9-14 — Note the augmented chord in measure 9 and the major-to-minor shift in measures 10-11.
- LH alone, all 14 measures — simple single notes, one per measure. Easy.
- Both hands, measures 1-4 — 3 times slowly
- Both hands, measures 5-8 — 3 times
- Both hands, measures 9-14 — 3 times
- Full medley, both hands — play through at 72 BPM
Expression:
- Each chord should be played with a clear, singing tone — not banged.
- Listen to how the mood shifts as you move through major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords.
- The final C major (measure 14) should feel like arriving home after a journey. Play it slightly louder than the preceding chords — a sense of completion.
- Try adding a slight crescendo through measures 1-8, then a diminuendo through measures 9-14.
Creative / Ear Training (10 minutes)
Section titled “Creative / Ear Training (10 minutes)”Triad Quality Identification by Ear
Section titled “Triad Quality Identification by Ear”Exercise 1: Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented (5 minutes)
Section titled “Exercise 1: Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented (5 minutes)”Play each chord quality using C as the root:
- C major: C-E-G — bright, stable
- C minor: C-Eb-G — dark, sad
- C diminished: C-Eb-Gb — tense, unstable
- C augmented: C-E-G# — dreamy, floating
Play them several times. Now close your eyes. Play one at random. Can you identify its quality?
Ear training cues:
- Major = happy, resolved
- Minor = sad, resolved
- Diminished = tense, wants to move somewhere (unresolved)
- Augmented = dreamy, wants to move somewhere (unresolved)
Do this 8 times. Track your score: ___/8.
Exercise 2: Inversion Listening (3 minutes)
Section titled “Exercise 2: Inversion Listening (3 minutes)”Play C major in all three inversions:
- Root position: C-E-G — feels grounded, the bass note IS the chord name
- 1st inversion: E-G-C — feels lighter, more flowing
- 2nd inversion: G-C-E — feels open, suspended
These are subtler differences than major vs minor. See if you can begin to hear them. Close your eyes, play one, and identify the inversion. Do not worry if this is hard — inversion hearing takes months to develop.
Exercise 3: Chord Progression by Ear (2 minutes)
Section titled “Exercise 3: Chord Progression by Ear (2 minutes)”Play this progression slowly: C major → Am → F major → G major → C major
Now play it again, but this time listen for the mood changes. The move from C to Am introduces sadness. F brightens slightly. G creates tension. The return to C resolves everything.
This I-vi-IV-V-I progression is used in hundreds of pop songs. You are hearing the emotional engine of popular music.
Review & Homework (5 minutes)
Section titled “Review & Homework (5 minutes)”Summary
Section titled “Summary”Today you:
- Learned all 12 major triads and all 12 minor triads in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion (72 chord shapes total)
- Built and played diminished triads (B dim, F# dim) and augmented triads (C aug, Ab aug)
- Understood voice leading — moving smoothly between chords using inversions
- Performed a 14-measure chord inversion medley with both hands
- Trained your ear to distinguish major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords
Self-Check Questions
Section titled “Self-Check Questions”- What is the difference between root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion?
- How do you turn a major triad into a minor triad? (What changes?)
- What two intervals make up a diminished triad?
- Why is voice leading important when playing chord progressions?
Practice Homework (Before Next Session)
Section titled “Practice Homework (Before Next Session)”- Major triads, all 12 keys — 10 minutes daily. Play each in root, 1st inv, 2nd inv. Work through the chromatic cycle: C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B.
- Minor triads, all 12 keys — 10 minutes daily. Same process.
- Diminished and augmented triads — 5 minutes daily. Play B dim, F# dim, C aug, Ab aug. Try building dim and aug on other roots too.
- Chord medley — 10 minutes daily. Play the full 14-measure medley, both hands. Focus on smooth voice leading.
- Scale maintenance — 10 minutes daily. Play 4 scales (2 major, 2 harmonic minor) at 60 BPM, 2 octaves, hands together.
- Total: ~45-50 minutes daily
Common Mistakes to Watch For
Section titled “Common Mistakes to Watch For”- Playing all chords in root position: Root position is the easiest to remember but the worst for smooth progressions. Force yourself to use inversions — even if it feels harder now, it will make everything easier later.
- Confusing diminished and minor: Both have a minor 3rd on the bottom. The difference is the 5th — minor has a perfect 5th (7 half steps), diminished has a diminished 5th (6 half steps). Listen: minor sounds sad but stable; diminished sounds tense and unstable.
- Forgetting the sharp/flat in new triads: Db major is Db-F-Ab, not D-F-A. F# major is F#-A#-C#, not F-A-C. Double-check your notes against the list above.
CT-X9000IN Tips
Section titled “CT-X9000IN Tips”Registration Memory — Save Your Chord Voicing Setups
Section titled “Registration Memory — Save Your Chord Voicing Setups”Now that you have a massive chord vocabulary, registration memory becomes even more valuable.
Create a “Chord Practice” registration:
- Set tone to Grand Piano (000)
- Metronome ON, 60 BPM, 4/4 time
- Touch response: Normal
- Save to Registration 3
Create a “Medley Performance” registration:
- Set tone to Grand Piano (000)
- Metronome OFF (for performance feel)
- Add a subtle reverb if your keyboard supports it (check the EFFECTS settings)
- Save to Registration 4
Having dedicated registrations for practice vs performance helps you switch mindsets instantly. When you recall Registration 3, your brain knows “this is drill time.” When you recall Registration 4, it is “performance time.”