Notes stacked into color
Play one note and it's plain; stack three the right distance apart and you get a warm, full chord — the harmony behind almost every song. Chords are notes sounded together, the color underneath the melody.
Three notes at once
A chord is two or more notes played together. The most common is the triad: three notes stacked in thirds. A major triad — like C–E–G — sounds bright and happy; lowering the middle note a half step gives a minor triad, which sounds darker.
Root, third, fifth
A triad is built from a root note, the note a third above it, and the note a fifth above the root. Chords are the harmony under a melody.
Simulation · Play the keyboard
Tap the keys to play the C-major scale
Play C, E, and G together to hear a bright C-major chord.