Major chord: 4 then 3
From C, move four half steps to E. From E, move three half steps to G. Hear each note on its own, then all three together for a C major chord.
C4 half stepsE3 half stepsG
Unit 5 · Lesson 7 of 12 — IB MYP: Personal and Cultural Expression · Communication
Building chords
A triad is a three-note chord. Start on its root, then count half-step moves to the middle and top notes.
Minor chord: 3 then 4
From C, move three half steps to E♭. From E♭, move four half steps to G. Hear each note on its own, then all three together for a C minor chord.
C3 half stepsE♭4 half stepsG
You can also find these notes as the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the matching major or natural minor scale. In these activities, keep the named note as the lowest note — the next lesson looks at what happens when you reorder them.
In this lesson
Learning Targets
- Build a major triad using the 4-then-3 half-step pattern
- Build a minor triad using the 3-then-4 half-step pattern
IB MYP connection
Command terms: BUILD · COMPARE
BuildCompare
Learner Profile · ATL
Knowledgeable · Thinker — Thinking: connect scale and chord knowledge to the melodies and harmonies you build.
Task
Build each major and minor triad on the keyboard, then compare the two patterns before writing them in Noteflight.
Inquiry: How does knowing the 4-then-3 or 3-then-4 pattern let you build any major or minor chord, not just ones you memorize?
Reflect: What's the fastest way for you to tell a major chord from a minor chord by ear or by pattern?
Now you try
0 of 3 correctBuild 3 answers
All 3 activities are visible. Build each answer on the keyboard to continue.
Write it on a staff
Your Noteflight task
Open Noteflight through MusicFirst in a new tab. Sign in with your usual MusicFirst account if asked, then return to this tab to keep practicing.
Choose three notes other than C to build from. For each one, write both the major triad and the minor triad built on that note, stacking all three notes together exactly as you built them on the keyboard.
Musical requirements
- Pick three starting notes other than C
- For each one, write the major triad using the 4-then-3 half-step pattern
- For each one, write the minor triad using the 3-then-4 half-step pattern
- Play each triad back and listen for the difference between major and minor