Major
—Intervals · 1 · 3 · 5
Bright, stable. The reference triad.
Chord Family
Major Chords
Major chords are bright, stable, and the reference triad of Western harmony. Built from the root, major third, and perfect fifth (intervals 1-3-5), they're the I, IV, and V of every major key.
Qualities
Each variant.
Major 6th
6Intervals · 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
Sweet, jazzy alternative to a major triad.
6/9
6/9Intervals · 1 · 3 · 5 · 6 · 9
Lush, neutral substitute for major triads.
Major 7th
maj7Intervals · 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
Dreamy, sophisticated. Tonic of jazz ballads.
Major 9th
maj9Intervals · 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9
Lush, gentle; jazz ballads and neo-soul.
Add 9
add9Intervals · 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
Major triad with an added 9th; pop and folk staple.
Find major chords for your instrument
Compiled by
Jake Dahn
- guitar
- chord voicings
- music theory
- chord charts
Jake Dahn builds and maintains chords.lol — a one-person project of interactive chord references, printable PDF charts, and music theory laid out plainly. He's a software engineer and a guitar player who got tired of ad-bloated chord sites, so he built the reference he wanted to use. Every diagram, voicing, and article here is written and checked by him, and all of it is free.