Piano Lession #3: Basic Major Chords

A whole-step is the same distance on a keyboard as two half-steps. D to D# is a half-step; D to E is a whole-

step. Similarly, E to F is a half-step; E to F# is a whole-step.

Major chords are played using three notes at the same time, and are sometimes called “triads.”

The root is the lowest of the three notes, and is also the name of the chord. If you are playing a C Major
chord, for example, the root is C.

The third is the middle note of the chord, and is always two whole-steps higher than the root. The third
in a C Major chord, then, would be E.

The fifth is the highest note of the chord, and is always one-and-a-half steps (a whole-step plus a half-step)
higher than the third. The fifth in a C Major chord is G. To play a C Major chord, you would play C, E and
G together:

Major Chord Root Third Fifth

C C E �G
D D F# A
E E G# B
F F A C
G G B D
A A C# E
B B D# F#
E Major

B Major