This is Part Two in series about chords:
2. (You are Here) What Makes a Chord Major?
3. What Makes a Chord Minor?
What Makes a Chord Major?
Major triads in root position consist of an interval of a third from the root note to the “third,” or middle note, and another interval of a third from the middle note (“third”) to the top note, called the “fifth.”
The other interval at play in a triad is the distance from the “root” to the “fifth,” which is an interval of a fifth.
Thirds
An intervals of a third can be either qualified as major or minor.
A major third is four half steps, and a minor third is three half steps.
An interval of a “perfect” fifth is seven half steps.
So What Makes A Triad “Major”?
A major triad in root position (the root being the lowest note) is made up of an interval of a major third from the “root” to the “third,” and another interval of a minor third from the “third” to the “fifth.”
In the chart below the intervals are represented:
Major third = M3
Minor third = m3
Perfect fifth = P5
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