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The Three Primary Chords
By Diana Rogers
How do you go about harmonizing a melody? It helps to know that in any key there are three chords that are especially important. Those are the chords built on the first, fourth, and fifth notes of the scale. Another way to say it is that Primary and Major Triads are the most important triads of a key built on the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees of the major scale. They are called the Primary Triads or Primary Chords of the key and are identified by the Roman Numerals I, IV, and V. These three triads contain every tone in the major scale. For example, the C Major Scale is: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. Out of these 8 notes (excluding the perfect octave; C), 3 of them are Primary or Major Triads. In the scale of C Major the roots of the three primary chords are I, IV, and V, which are C (CEG), F (FAC) and G (GBD). As you will learn later, the other notes of the scale are associated with other types of chords, like minor and diminished. The Primary chords are Major chords because they consist of the root, a major 3rd, and a perfect 5th. So, here’s a formula to remember: Major Third + Perfect Fifth = Major Chord Why are major scales important in understanding primary Chords? If we hadn’t known the C Major scale, how would we have known that E is the major third and G is the perfect 5th of C major? Well there’s two ways of forming a major triad: First select the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a major scale. This is the easiest way if you know your major scales. In the Key of F Major, F is the 1st note, A is the 3rd note and C is the 5th note. F, A, C make up the F Major chord. The same rule applies to all 12 keys. Secondly, another way of forming a major chord (triad) is to add the interval of a minor 3rd on top of a major third. If you know that a minor 3rd equals 3 half steps and a major third equals 4 half steps (or 2 whole steps), you’re on your way to applying music theory. For example, from C to Eb (minor third) is 3 half steps. C to C# = 1 half step. C to D = 2 half steps and C to Eb = 3 half steps. So to make a major chord, just put a minor 3rd on top of a major third. Here’s the secret: Let’s say you want to build a G Major chord. Start at G (the root) and add a major third (4 half steps), G + B then add a minor third (3 half steps) on top of that (from B), G+B+D. From G to B is a major triad and from B to D is a minor third. This makes a G Major Chord. Songs that start with major chords are Mary Had a Little Lamb, Are You Sleeping?, and Go tell It on The Mountain. In major keys the chords built on I and IV are major chords. The chord on V can be either major or a dominant seventh. So, the three primary chords in C major: C major (CEG), F major (FAC) and G7 (GBDF). Those three chords will be enough for the harmonization of many simple tunes. In many others they serve as the backbone of the harmony. It isn’t possible to lay down hard and fast rules for harmonizing a melody. Many times your ear must be your guide. But ordinarily the main notes of the tune will be present in the chords that accompany them. What I do is play the chords in my left hand and put chord tones in my right hand, underneath the melody. Because I, IV, and V7 chords are so important, it is very worthwhile to become familiar with their positions on the keyboard. If you practice this exercise in all major keys you will be taking an important first step in developing the ability to harmonize melodies at the keyboard. If you read chord charts, you would harmonize the melody like this: C/ EGC F/ FAC G/DFGB C/EGC C/GCE F/ACF
G/DFGB C/GCE C/CEG F/CFA G/BDFG C/CEG Wishing you all the best in your chord studies. These 3 primary chords in any key is a good start for putting together progressions that make familiar songs to enjoy. |
LadyD Piano
  
C Major Chord
F Major Chord - root position
G Chord-B,D,G
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
LadyD Piano
Piano teacher and kindergarten music.
ladydpiano.blogspot.com
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I studied piano long ago. Thanks for the memories.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
June, thanks for reading my intel and commenting. I do appreciate it. Do you still play the piano from time to time?
Great job Diana! How does that symbolic convention work on that last pic?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Quite an image map showing triads on the white piano keys! A bit too much and somewhat confusing I suppose. I've seen this image on Flickr and Wikimedia Commons. Blue stands for minor and red for major: Three minor triads can be played on the white piano keys: E minor triad: E G B, A minor triad: A C E, D minor triad: D F A. Three major triads can be played on the white piano keys: G major triad: G B D, C major triad: C E G, and F major triad: F A C
Okay... so it's a map that shows you all the chords in a major key that can be played in a 7 note range on the keyboard without moving your hand very much. Very clever, once you understand the convention.
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This intel was contributed by LadyD
LadyD
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May, 2012
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