Seeing Chord Shapes
A picture is worth a thousand words... at least if you are a visual learner like me! This poster for teaching chord qualities in my music studio makes the differences between chords stand out a bit more.
We've been playing several games this past month to review the half step patterns in chords. At first glance when students see 3 skipping notes on the piano, it may look like the notes are the same distance apart, but counting the half steps between the keys helps them determine the chord quality.
- Major (4+3),
- Minor (3+4),
- Diminished (3+3)
- Augmented (4+4).
Hearing Chord Qualities
Chords have a distinct sound or mood.
- Major sounds Happy
- Minor sounds Sad or Spooky
- Diminished sounds Creepy because of the "devil's interval" or tritone
- Augmented sounds Tense or Suspenseful
Ear Training Activity: Snowman Interval
Listen to the root chord played by your teacher (or on teoria) and strike a pose for the chord you heard.
- Major=Stand Up Happily
- Minor-Crouch Down with a Sad Face
- Diminished - Melt to the Ground
- Augmented - Stand on Your Tippy Toes with a Crazy Face
More Online Chord ID Practice
For more practice hearing and identifying chords choose from the following activities on teoria.com
Identify Chords by Sound or Sight (on the staff)
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