A chord is any number of notes struck together.

A major or minor chord has three notes positioned like this. This chord is C major because it starts on a C.

If we take all the notes up one we get D minor. Why is it minor when the same shape on C is major. The answer is the number of semitone steps between the notes. (picture). If you use your ear you can tell major from minor without counting steps.

Try playing chords of the same shape starting on other white notes. See if you can tell if they are major or minor by ear. You can count semitone steps to check.

Chord notes can be repositioned into inversions. CEG can become EGC or GCE. When we play GCE we aren’t playing a G chord – it’s the wrong shape. We are playing a C chord with the notes rearranged.

Play the correct answers on the piano as you go through the next set of questions.