Introduction to Chords A chord is any combination of 3 more different notes played at the same time. There are thousands of possible chords, but the process and formula for building chords will remian relatively the same. If your songs consist of one note at a time, chances are your career will be short lived. The masters of music have mastered the art of harmony. They have taken the liberty of developing a science that will answer the following questions… How do you know which notes sound good when played together? How can you build chords without an instrument? How do you know which chords will sound good when played in a progression? Knowing the answers to these questions will exponentially increase your ability to write music by yourself and with other people. There are a few basic types of chords that are used most often in music… Major chords are consonant and have a happy, bright sound. Think of a sunny day. Minor chords are consonant, have a sad, solemn sound. Think of a rainy day. Augmented chords are dissonant, and have an unsettling, mysterious sound. Think of a haunted house. Diminished chords are dissonant and have an evil, harsh sound. Think of zombies coming after you. All of these chords share a few things in common… All chords will have a root (1) a third (3) and a fifth (5) All of them have 3 notes Learning and memorizing the formulas and methods for building chords of all types is one of the most important skills of the professional musician. If you are new to learning chords, or simply wish to further your education on the subject, then pick up a copy of Music Theory For The Modern Rockin' Metalhead in the online store. This book covers them all! You can get a head start by downloading sample chapters here.