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  Theory
Chord Construction - 3 Note Chords - Part 2

Examples for major, minor,
augmented and diminished chords

Here are a few more examples, and the thought process that you want to go through to figure out how to spell the different chords.

 

 

 

D

In order to know how to spell a D major chord you need to use the D minor chord as your starting point. You will use Dm as your starting point for any chord with the root of D, D#, or Db. That again is because Dm contains no sharps or flats. Therefore you use the Dm as a baseline template that you will alter to get every other D related chords.

Dm = D(1), F(b3), A(5)

The chord formula for a minor chord is 1 b3 5. So therefore we need to raise the F(b3) in a Dm chord to an F#(3) for the D major chord.

D = D(1), F# (3), A(5)


Gm

In order to know how to spell a Gm chord you need to use G major as your starting point.

G = G(1), B(3), D(5)

The chord formula for major is 1 3 5. The chord formula for a minor chord is 1 b3 5. So therefore we need to lower the B(3) in the G major chord to a Bb(b3) to spell a Gm chord.

Gm = G(1), Bb(b3), D(5)


Bm

In order to know how to spell a Bm chord you need to use the Bdim chord as your starting point.

Bdim = B(1), D(b3), F(b5)

The chord formula for diminished is 1 b3 b5. The chord formula for a minor chord is 1 b3 5. So therefore we need to raise the F(b5 )in a Bdim chord to an F#(5) for the Bm chord.

Bm = B(1), D(b3) F#(5)


Fm

In order to know how to spell an Fm chord, you need to use an F major chord as your starting point.

F = F(1), A(3), C(5)

The formula for a major chord is 1 3 5, and a minor chord has the formula of 1 b3 5. So you just have to lower the A(3) in the F major chord to an Ab(b3) in an F minor chord.

Fm = F(1), Ab(b3), C(5)

Page 2, Formulas for all types of 3 note chords

Page 4, More examples



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