Chords
Chord
A chord is a group of at least three different notes played together, built by stacking thirds on a root: C, E and G form a C major chord.
What is a chord in music?
A chord combines at least three different notes played at the same time. It is built by stacking thirds on a root: C, then E (a third above), then G (another third). Those three notes form a triad, the simplest kind of chord.
Add one more third and you get a seventh chord: C, E, G, B is Cmaj7. Two notes alone form an interval, so a power chord (C5: C and G) is, strictly speaking, a doubled interval.
What are the main types of chords?
| Chord | Symbol | Notes | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | C | C, E, G | 1, 3, 5 |
| Minor | Cm | C, E♭, G | 1, ♭3, 5 |
| Diminished | Cdim | C, E♭, G♭ | 1, ♭3, ♭5 |
| Augmented | C+ | C, E, G# | 1, 3, #5 |
| Suspended 4 | Csus4 | C, F, G | 1, 4, 5 |
| Dominant seventh | C7 | C, E, G, B♭ | 1, 3, 5, ♭7 |
| Major seventh | Cmaj7 | C, E, G, B | 1, 3, 5, 7 |
| Minor seventh | Cm7 | C, E♭, G, B♭ | 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7 |
Read a chord symbol left to right: the letter is the root, m means minor third, 7 means minor seventh, maj7 means major seventh. A slash shows the bass note: C/G is a C chord with G in the bass.
How are chords played on guitar?
With six strings, notes are often doubled. Open C (x32010) plays C, E, G, C, E: three different notes on five strings. The way the notes are arranged is called a voicing, and one chord can have dozens:
- Open C: x32010
- C, A shape barred at the 3rd fret: x35553
- C, E shape barred at the 8th fret: 8-10-10-9-8-8
All three sound like C major, but each has its own register and colour. To name a chord you found by accident, enter its notes in the chord identifier: it gives the name, the inversion and alternative names.
Exercise: five chords from one root
Start from the A-shape C barre at the 3rd fret and change only one or two notes at a time:
- C: x35553
- Cm: x35543 (the third, E, drops to E♭ on the 2nd string)
- C7: x35353 (the C on the 3rd string drops to B♭)
- Cmaj7: x35453 (B instead of B♭)
- Cm7: x35343 (B♭ and E♭ together)
You have just played five chord types without leaving the 3rd fret. Then use them in a chord progression such as Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7, G7, and display the matching arpeggios in the guitar scales and chords tool.
Key takeaways
- A chord = at least three different notes, stacked in thirds on a root.
- Triads (3 notes), then seventh chords (4 notes): each type has its own formula.
- Read a symbol as: root, quality of the third, extensions, bass note.
- One chord can be played with many voicings across the neck.
Frequently asked questions
How many notes make a chord?
At least three different notes. Doubled notes do not count: an open E chord rings on six strings but contains only three notes, E, G# and B.
Is a power chord a real chord?
Technically no: it has only the root and the fifth, no third, so it is neither major nor minor. In practice everyone calls it a chord, and that ambiguity is exactly what makes it so versatile in rock.
What is the difference between a chord and an arpeggio?
Same notes, played together for a chord and one after another for an arpeggio. A C arpeggio plays C, E, G separately; it is a great way to memorise where each chord's notes sit on the neck.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.