What is the simplest, most basic type of chord?

Question

HELP PLEASE

Answer 1

A chord must have at least three tones sounding simultaneously. The most basic chord would be a major or minor chord in modern tonality. And the simplest would be one of these chords in root position. For example a C-major chord in root position would be (C-E-G) with the 'c' being the lowest pitch.

Answer 2

The simplest type of chord is a major or minor triad which is made up of its root (the note the chord is built on) and two notes a Major 3rd (two tones) or Minor 3rd (a tone and a half) and a Perfect 5th (three and a half tones) above its root. Which is to say the first, third, and fifth notes of the major/minor triad's corresponding major/minor scale. Major and minor chords on all natural notes: C E G and C Eb G D F# A and D F A E G# B and E G B F A C and F Ab C G B D and G Bb D A C# E and A C E B D# F# and B D F# May seem random, but remember that musical notes are laid out like this: A A#/Bb B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A From that you can see why some triads built on natural notes have sharp thirds and others don't and why B major has a sharped 5th. If you count three and a half tones, which is 7 half tones, you get to F#, not F. And there is you explanation for the two equally most basic chord. Such a long explanation was required a) in the case that you play the guitar and will probably never hear this in your life because you see things only as frets, which is bad, or b) you were really curious.

Answer 3

The simplest most basic type of chord is known as a triad. It is 3 notes in a scale stacked on top of eachother, specifically the 1st 2nd and 3rd scale degrees. This 1-3-5 combination is the building blocks for your basic chord.

If you are using a major scales notes, you will get a major scale. If you are using a minor scale, you will get a minor chord.

An example is this:
A C Major scale inclued the notes c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c. c-e-g is the major triad in that scale. A C minor scale is c-d-eflat-f-g-a-b-c. The minor triad in that scale is c-eflat-g.

I hope this helped. The best thing to do is hear this at a piano. If you can, you should try playing notes, and stacking thirds and fifths on top of a root note. You can pick any note as a root.

Answer 4

Dear Friend,

So many students in music miss the point. The simplest sound is a moment of rest. The definition of chord is:

[chord "1" |kôrd| noun a group of (typically 3 or more) notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony.]

Since Oxford does not define it as 3 or more different notes, then one could argue that 2 notes or 1 note is a chord. My personal opinion is that 1 note orchestrated in more than one instrument could be considered a chord. However, the current view is that it needs to be 3 or more different notes with the exception to the "power chord" [e.g. The notes C and G make up a C5 "Power" Chord].

Warm Regards,
Gordon Francis Blaney Jr.

Answer 5

It is called a triad. "Tri" meaning 3. It consists of 3 notes and may be of a number of qualities like major, minor, diminshed, and augmented. 4 qualities, but will always contain only 3 notes.

Since it has 3 notes, there are 2 intervals it is made up of. This is where it gets confusing. These interfvals are between the first/second notes and the second/third notes. The overall interval between the first/third sometimes gives the quality of the triad.

For example, an A minor triad would consist of:

A -- C -- E
(A-C = minor third, C-E = major third, A-E = perfect fifth), but since the first interval is minor, and it sounds depressing, it is a minor triad). play it on the piano.

A major would look like

A -- C# -- E
(A--C# = major third, C#-E, minor third, A-E = perfect fifth)

A diminshed looks like

A -- C -- Eb
(A-C = minor third, C-Eb = minor third, A-Eb=diminished fifth, or a tritone).

A augmented looks like

A -- C# -- E#
(A-C# = major third, C#-E# = major third...you get the picture...

An easy way to remember it is with the "m" system. A capital M represents major, small m represents minor.

Major Triad: Mm
Minor Triad: mM
Diminished Triad: mm
Augmented Triad: MM

Answer 6

The simplest chord is a triad.
Any three notes separated by a major or minor third.

Answer 7

The simplest chord is a Major chord. It consist of the first, third, and fifth degree of the scale.

Answer 8

On guitar? Thats easy, an open chord. The guitar could be tuned to "open" D, E, G, or A. An open chord is playing all the strings open without fretting. Blues guitarists often use open tunings. It makes playing bottleneck (slide) guitar a lot easier.

Answer 9

The simplest and most basic chord to play on the guitar is G6, G6 add 9 and G6 add 9/E. The following diagrams show them:

XXOOOO= G6
XOOOOO= G6 add 9
and
OOOOOO = G6 add9/E

Answer 10

What instrument are you asking for? Piano or Guitar?

If piano, then C major, simply play the notes C, E, and G with your thumb, 3rd, and 5th finger (right hand).

If guitar, then prolly G major....but don't ask me how because I don't play guitar....but I know that is their favorite key. hehe. ; )

take care! = )