MAJOR Chord (M): 1-3-5



WHAT'S IT SOUND LIKE?--Some Easy Open Forms:

   A Major             C Major             D Major
x  o           o    x        o     o    x  x  o     
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
|  |  |  |  |  |    |  |  |  | [1] |    |  |  |  |  |  |
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
|  | [2[]2][3] |    |  | [2] |  |  |    |  |  | [1] | [2]
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
|  |  |  |  |  |    | [3] |  |  |  |    |  |  |  | [3] |
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+        
        
   E Major             G Major
o           o  o      (x) o  o  o
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
|  |  | [1] |  |    |  |  |  |  |  |
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
| [2][3] |  |  |    | (2) |  |  |  |
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+
|  |  |  |  |  |   [3] |  |  |  | [4]
+--+--+--+--+--+    +--+--+--+--+--+


CHORD TABLE & SAMPLE VOICINGS

Position I



Position 2



Position 3



Position 4



Position 5
| | | | | |



1 | | | 5 1



| | | | | |



| | | | 1 |



5 1 | | | 5
| 3 | | | |



| | | 3 | |



3 | | 5 | 3



| | 3 | | |



| | | | | |
1 | | | 5 1



| 5 1 | | |



| | | | 1 |



5 1 | | | 5



| | 5 1 3 |
| | | 3 | |



| | | | | |



| | 3 | | |



| | | | | |



| | | | | |
| 5 1 | | |



3 | | 5 | 3



5 1 | | | 5



| | 5 1 3 |



| 3 | | | |
| | | | | |



| | | | 1 |



| | | | | |



| | | | | |



1 | | | 5 1
3 | | 5 | 3



| | 3 | | |



| | 5 1 3 |



| 3 | | | |



| | | 3 | |

Voicing Examples for Each Position (non-bold #'s are optional!)
1 5 1 3 5 1



3 5 1 5 1 -



3 1 3 5 1 3



5 1 5 1 3 5



1 3 5 1 3 1
- 5 1 3 5 1



3 - 1 5 1



- 1 3 5 1 3



- 1 5 1 3 5



1 - 5 1 3 1
- - 1 3 5 1



- - 1 5 1 3



- - 3 5 1 3



- - 5 1 3 5



- 3 5 1 5 1
- - - 3 5 1



- - - 5 1 3



- - 3 5 1 5



- - - 1 3 5



- - 5 1 3 1


Most Common Uses
I, V, IV; bIII, bVI, bVII

Important Homonym Relationships

  I (Major) =
_ii_9sus4 (no root,5th)
    e.g.: C = D9sus4 (no root,5th)
[iii+]
    e.g.: C = Em+
_iv_M9 (no root,3rd)
    e.g.: C = FM9 or Fm(M9) (no root,3rd)
bV7b9b5 (no root,3rd)
    e.g.: C = Gb7b9b5 (no root,3rd)
bVIM7+ (no root)
    e.g.: C = AbM7+ (no root)
vi7 (no root)
    e.g.: C = Am7 (no root)
  VI7#9 (no root,3rd)
      e.g.: C = A7#9 (no root, 3rd)
bVIIM6/9b5 (no root,3rd)
    e.g.: C = BbM6/9b5 (no root,3rd)

Further Notes
THE BASIC chord of Western harmony. (Uh, yes, Country -Western, too, but. . . !) Note that a capital roman numeral by itself represents a simple major chord (I = I Major), just as C by itself as a chord name implies a C Major chord....


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