Major chords

This is a lesson on how major chords are constructed and we will show you some common voicings for major chords.

The most basic major chord is the triad. Triads are very important structures upon which most chords are based. The major triad contains three notes (1, 3, 5). In the Key of C the major triad is made up of the first note of the C major scale (C), the third note of the major scale (E) and the fifth note of the major scale (G).

To play over major chords the most common scales used are the major pentatonic, Major scale and the Lydian mode. Try each one and see which sounds you like the most

Below we have some different voicings of C major triad chords

As well as simple triad chords we can extend major triad voicings by adding extra notes. The most common note added to a C major triad would be a major seventh note (B). Below we have some voicings for the Cmaj7 chord.

As you can hear it has a much richer and more interesting sound than the simple triad chords.

You can continue stacking other notes on top of the chords to create richer voicings. Be aware that adding more notes will not always produce a better chord. Sometimes it is better to use fewer notes in a voicing.

Besides the major seventh note another common addition to the major triad is the ninth. We now have a major triad with a major seventh (B) and a ninth (D) creating a Cmaj9 chord

There are hundreds of variations you can create for major chords. There is no need to get carried away as there will be very few occasions where a more elaborate voicing is required. Other major voicings worth learning are Maj 13 and Maj 6 chords. A major 6 chord has a real country sound to it

The lydian mode is a great scale to play over major chords. It generates its own major chord voicing known as a Maj7#11 or Maj7b5 chord. It has a really nice dream like sound and can be used as an interesting substitute for a standard major chord.

Thats about it for major chords. Make sure you understand how these voicings are created and start experimenting to see which ones you like best. Take your time and have fun with these new sounds.