Major piano chords
A major chord is built from three notes: the root, a major third (four semitones up) and a perfect fifth (seven semitones up). C major, for example, is C–E–G. That 4+3 semitone stack is what gives major chords their bright, settled sound — most songs you know resolve to one.
The major family extends well past the triad. Add a sixth and you get C6; add both the sixth and the ninth for the airy 6/9 chord. The major seventh (Cmaj7) layers a leading tone on top for a soft, jazzy color, and maj9 stretches it further. Add chords (add9, add11) color the triad without the seventh.
In any major key, the chords built on the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are major — the I–IV–V that powers folk, rock and pop. If you are starting out, learn C, F and G first, then practice moving between their inversions so your hand barely has to move.
