Categories: Chords
All theory articlesChords in a Minor Key
Learn which chords belong to natural minor, why minor keys often raise the seventh degree, and why V or V7 pulls to the tonic more strongly than v.
Reader level: ArrangerChords in a Major Key
Learn which chords belong to a major key, how the I–ii–iii–IV–V–vi–vii° pattern works, and how to build and transpose progressions.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Are Diatonic Chords?
Learn what a diatonic scale is, how its notes form the chords of a key, and how Roman numerals help transpose chord progressions.
Reader level: ArrangerAdded-Tone Chords
A simple explanation of added-tone chords: what add2, add4, add6, and add9 mean, how they differ from sus and seventh chords, and how to use them in music.
Reader level: ComposerWhat Are sus2 and sus4 Chords?
A simple explanation of sus2 and sus4 chords: why they do not contain a third, how they sound, and how they differ from major and minor chords.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Slash Chord?
A simple explanation of slash chords: how to read C/E, how slash chords relate to inversions, and how to use chords with a separate bass note.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Chord Inversion?
A simple explanation of chord inversions: what changes when the bass note is not the root, and how this affects harmony and voice leading.
Reader level: ArrangerMain Types of Seventh Chords
A reference guide to the main seventh chords: maj7, 7, m7, m7♭5, and dim7, with formulas, sound, and harmonic function.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Seventh Chord?
A simple explanation of seventh chords: how they are built from a triad plus a seventh, why they matter in harmony, and how to hear their tension.
Reader level: ArrangerDiminished and Augmented Triads
A simple explanation of diminished and augmented triads: formulas, sound, differences from major and minor, and practical harmonic use.
Reader level: ArrangerMinor Triad: The 1–♭3–5 Formula
A simple explanation of the minor triad: what notes it contains, why it sounds different from a major triad, and how to see the formula on the fretboard.
Reader level: MusicianMajor Triad: The 1–3–5 Formula
A simple explanation of the major triad: what notes it contains, how it sounds, how to see it on the fretboard, and how it differs from a minor triad.
Reader level: MusicianChord vs Fingering: What's the Difference
A simple explanation of the difference between a chord and a fingering: why the same chord can be played in different places on the fretboard and why guitarists need to understand this.
Reader level: MusicianWhat Is an Arpeggio in Music
A simple explanation of arpeggios: how they differ from chords, picking patterns, and scales, and how to hear and play them on guitar.
Reader level: MusicianHow Triads Are Built
A simple explanation of triads: what a triad is, how it is built in thirds, how major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads differ, and how to see them on guitar.
Reader level: MusicianWhat Is a Chord in Music
A simple explanation of chords: what a chord is, how it differs from a single note and a fingering, how chords are built from intervals, and why guitar players need them.
Reader level: Musician