Free Download - 17 Essential Strum Patterns PDF
Comparing
major and
minor chords
Being able to understand the difference between a major and a
minor chord is a good first step in understanding how different
types of chords are built. A C major chord is build from the 1st,
3rd and 5th degrees of a C major scale.
C
D E F G
A B C - C major scale
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 1
- Scale degrees
|_____|_____| = C (C major chord)
A Dm chord is build from the 2nd, 4th and 6th degrees of a C
major scale
C D
E F G A
B C - C major scale
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 1 - Scale
degrees
|_____|_____| = Dm (D minor chord)
This again was the idea that you learned in the basic
chord construction lesson. Be sure and read that lesson before
attempting to understand this one.
A D major chord consists of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees of
a D major scale.
D
E F
G A B C
D - D major scale
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 1
- Scale degrees
|_____|_____| = D (D major chord)
So now with this information we can do a comparison between the
D major that we have built from the 1st degree of a D major scale,
and the Dm chord which is build from the 2nd degree of the C major
scale.
A D major chord is made up of the notes D,
F ,
and A. And a D minor chord has the notes
D, F and A.
D
E F
G A B C
D - D major scale
1 2
3 4 5
6 7 1
|_____|_____| = D (D major chord)
C D
E F G A
B C - C major scale
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 1
|_____|_____| = Dm (D minor chord)
If you look at a D major scale and give each different note in
the scale a number, then a D major chord is made up of 1,
3, and 5 from the major scale.
If you look at a D minor chord and compare it to a D major chord,
you will see that there is only one note that is different. There
is an F
in the D major chord, and there is an F in the D minor
chord.
So if D major is 1, 3 and 5, then D minor is 1, 3(flat
3) and 5. No matter what chord you are looking at, you are always
going to compare it to the notes of a major scale with the same
root. So what you have learned here is the formula
for a major and minor chord. Each number within the formula is
sometimes referred to as the function.
D has the function of being the 1 in a D major chord. An F
note functions as the 3 in a D major chord. Remember....read
and re-read....it is not all going to make sense the first time
around.
Here is is a basic D major and D minor chord with the note names
and chord functions written below. We will be talking later in
this lesson about applying this theory to the neck of the guitar,
but here is a quick example of the different between major and
minor chords on the neck.
Basic
D major chord
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Basic
D minor chord

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Free Download - 17 Essential Strum Patterns PDF
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