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Part I: Intro to
Chords
A chord in simplest terms is a set of 2 or more
tones played together simultaneously. By far the most basic chords that
most students of music learn are triads, or chords with 3 tones formed
by the tonic, mediant, and dominant of a specific scale (if the scale is
more or less than 7 tones then it’s simply the 1, 3, and 5 tones of the
scale). They are also formed another way dealing with specific intervals
(now would be a good time to review lesson I of the scales section).
Usually 2 toned intervals are not always considered chords; chords by
definition have to be 3 or more notes, however you will hear the perfect
fifth and perfect fourth occasionally referred to as chords (quite often
in rock music as the “power chord” or "inverted power chord"
respectively).
You should note that
until section X there is little or no explanation of how to use the
chords in musical composition or classical music theory. The previous
sections simply introduce all the terminology used when describing a
chord. For the time being, section X will only describe chord
progressions in terms of classical music theory. For this reason, you do
not need to read lessons VI, VII, or IX beforehand (though it is
suggested you at least look over them). Classical theory does not
generally use many extended chords, polychords, or alterations of any
kind but there is an important emphasis on bass chords, especially in
inversions.
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