FAME Grand 3100, User Manual

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Chord Basics
A chord, in music, is a harmonic set of three or more
notes that are heard simultaneously. The most common
type of chord is a triad. A triad is a set of three notes
that can be stacked in thirds. When arranged this way,
the triad‘s notes, from lowest pitched to highest, are
called: the Root, the Third, and the Fifth.
Triad Type
The basic triad types are as follows:
Chord Inversion
When a chord’s root is not the lowest note in the triad,
it is called an inversion chord. When the root note is
the lowest note, it is called a root-position chord. If we
put the Third and Fifth in the root position, it forms an
“Inversion”, so it is called an “Inverted Chord”. A major
triad and its inversion are illustrated on the right..
Chord Name
The chord name consists of two parts: Chord root and
Chord type.
Triad Type Description
Major Triad
A root with a major third added
above and a perfect fifth constitutes a
“Major Triad”.
Minor Triad
A root with a minor third added
above and a perfect fifth
constitutes a “Minor Triad”.
Augmented
Triad
A root with a major third added above
and an augmented fifth constitutes an
“Augmented Triad”.
Diminished
Triad
A root with a minor third added ab-
ove and a diminished fifth constitutes
a “Diminished Triad”.