Chords & Harmony

A chord is a simultaneous sounding of three or more distinct pitches, creating harmony in Western music. Chords serve as the building blocks of progressions, shaping the emotional contour of a piece.

An extended chord is a harmony that adds tones beyond the seventh—such as ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths—to create richer color and tension in music.

A seventh chord is a four‑note harmony built by adding a seventh interval to a basic triad. It comes in several varieties—major, dominant, minor, half‑diminished, and fully diminished—each with distinct tonal functions.

A major chord is a three‑note triad consisting of a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. It forms the foundation of much Western harmony and is recognized for its bright, stable sound.

An authentic cadence is a harmonic progression that creates a sense of finality by moving from the dominant chord to the tonic. It appears in two main forms—perfect and imperfect—depending on voice leading and chord inversion.

A power chord is a two‑note harmony, typically the root and perfect fifth, often doubled at the octave. It is a staple of electric guitar playing in rock, metal and related styles, especially when combined with distortion.

A secondary dominant is a chord that temporarily tonicizes a scale degree other than the tonic by treating it as if it were the dominant. It enriches harmonic motion by creating brief tonal pulls toward non‑tonic chords.

A minor chord is a three‑note harmony built from a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. It provides a darker, more melancholic sound than its major counterpart and is fundamental to Western tonal music.

A borrowed chord is a chord taken from the parallel key (major or minor) and used in a different tonal context, providing colour and tension in harmonic progressions.

A chord progression is a sequence of chords played in succession, forming the harmonic backbone of a piece of music. It establishes tonal center, creates tension and release, and guides melodic development.