The Chord Builder
A chord is what you get when notes stack up and sound together. Pick a root note and a chord type, and watch it build on the keyboard and the stave — named, spelled, and ready to hear. This is the bridge from single notes to real harmony.
How chords are built
- Stack in thirds. Start on a note, skip one, land on the next — then again. Three notes make a triad.
- The 3rd sets the mood. A major 3rd sounds bright; lower it a semitone to a minor 3rd and the chord turns sad.
- Add a 7th for colour. Pile one more third on top for the richer, jazzier seventh chords.
- Hear it, then use it. Find a chord you like and try it under a melody in the same key.