Major chord
The major triad: a major third and a perfect fifth above the root. It sounds bright, open and stable, and it is the basic chord of major keys. Spelled in all twelve keys, with guitar shapes and piano diagrams.
On C
- Symbol
- C
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Notes
- 3
- Also written
- Cmaj · CM
What it sounds like
A major triad stacks a major third, four semitones, beneath a minor third, three semitones. The major third carries the brightness, since its frequency ratio in just intonation is 5:4. The perfect fifth, seven semitones above the root, is the most stable interval after the octave and adds a solid frame. All three notes are consonant with one another, so the chord has no internal tension and needs no resolution. Listeners hear it as complete, which is why it so often ends a phrase or a piece.
How it is used
In major keys the major triad sits on scale degrees 1, 4 and 5, giving the tonic, subdominant and dominant. In minor keys it appears on degrees 3, 6 and 7 of the natural minor, and on degree 5 when the leading tone is raised. A minor piece often closes on a major tonic, a device called the Picardy third. Pop and rock build much of their material from I, IV and V, and the sequence I, V, vi, IV is among the most common progressions in popular music. Classical composers place the major triad on the final tonic of a cadence, where V moves to I.
How it is built
The major triad is a root with a major third and a perfect fifth, 0, 4 and 7 semitones above the root. Common symbols are C, CM, Cmaj, C△ and CΔ, and the bare letter is the usual form in lead sheets. The first inversion puts E in the bass as C/E, and the second puts G in the bass as C/G, written 6/4 in figured bass. Each inversion keeps the same three pitches. C major shares two notes, C and E, with A minor.
How to practise it
Play each major triad in root position, then in first and second inversion, and listen to how the lowest note changes the sound while the pitches stay the same. Next play I, IV, V, I in C, G and F with the top voice moving by step where it can. Finally, play I, V, vi, IV in C and say each chord's root aloud before you play it.
Major chord in every key
Every chord is spelled by letter name. Click a symbol for its page, with inversions and guitar shapes.
| Chord | Notes | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C E G | |
| C♯ | C♯ E♯ G♯ | |
| D♭ | D♭ F A♭ | |
| D | D F♯ A | |
| E♭ | E♭ G B♭ | |
| E | E G♯ B | |
| F | F A C | |
| F♯ | F♯ A♯ C♯ | |
| G♭ | G♭ B♭ D♭ | |
| G | G B D | |
| G♯ | G♯ B♯ D♯ | |
| A♭ | A♭ C E♭ | |
| A | A C♯ E | |
| B♭ | B♭ D F | |
| B | B D♯ F♯ |
Further reading
- Triads and Inversions: Root Position, Sixth, Six-FourHarmony · 6 min
- Chord Symbols Explained: Major, Minor, Seventh and Slash ChordsHarmony · 8 min
- Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys ExplainedHarmony · 7 min
Questions
Why does a major chord sound brighter than a minor chord?
The difference is the third. A major chord has a major third, four semitones above the root, and a minor chord has a minor third, three semitones above the root. The larger interval sounds brighter. The fifth is perfect in both chords, so the third alone decides the quality.
What is the difference between a major triad and a major seventh chord?
A major triad has a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. A major seventh chord adds a major seventh, eleven semitones above the root, to that triad. Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B. The seventh sits a semitone below the octave, which gives the chord more colour than plain C while keeping it settled.
Why is a major chord called major?
The name refers to the interval between the root and the third. That interval is a major third, four semitones, and a major chord uses it at its base. A minor triad has a minor third, three semitones, and that single interval gives the two triads their names.