Hear the idea before you study it.
Major and minor triads have a root, a third and a fifth. Seventh chords add one more chord tone, while inversions change the order without changing the underlying harmony.
Part 01
Three notes make a triad
A major triad contains a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. In C, those notes are C–E–G. A minor triad lowers the third by a semitone: C–E♭–G. That one changed note often makes the largest audible difference.
Play C–E–G, then move only your E down to E♭. Notice the change without moving your root or fifth.
04 · Go deeper into three notes make a triad
You can remember the intervals above the root: major uses 0–4–7 semitones and minor uses 0–3–7. You can move either shape to any starting note while keeping the same distances.
There are other triads too. A diminished triad uses a minor third and a lowered fifth; an augmented triad uses a major third and a raised fifth. You'll meet those sounds more naturally after major and minor feel comfortable.
- C major
- C–E–G (major third and perfect fifth).
- C minor
- C–E♭–G (minor third and perfect fifth).
- D minor
- D–F–A (same minor shape on D).
Part 02
A fourth note adds a seventh
To make a major seventh chord, place a major seventh above the root. Cmaj7 is C–E–G–B. The B sits only a semitone below the next C, giving the chord a close, luminous tension.
Play Cmaj7 and then C7. Listen for B falling to B♭.
04 · Go deeper into a fourth note adds a seventh
A dominant seventh uses a lowered seventh: C7 is C–E–G–B♭. A minor seventh uses a minor third as well: Cm7 is C–E♭–G–B♭. These aren't interchangeable—each has its own relationship to nearby chords.
Rather than memorise dozens of names, listen for what happens when you add or lower a single chord tone.
- Cmaj7
- C–E–G–B.
- C7
- C–E–G–B♭.
- Cm7
- C–E♭–G–B♭.
Part 03
Inversions make the keyboard feel smaller
A chord inversion puts a note other than the root at the bottom of the right-hand chord shape. C major in root position is C–E–G. Its first inversion is E–G–C, and its second inversion is G–C–E.
Play C major in all three right-hand positions: C–E–G, E–G–C and G–C–E. Then move to F major using the smallest finger movements.
04 · Go deeper into inversions make the keyboard feel smaller
The chord name is still C, because the notes and harmonic identity haven't changed. Inversions are a practical tool: you can connect one chord to the next without jumping your whole hand across the keyboard.
Slash chords such as G/B specify a bass note. G/B means G major harmony with B underneath. In PianoTry, that slash tells the player which note to put in the lower part; it is not the same thing as prescribing a particular right-hand inversion.
Try the ideas for yourself.
Hear a progression, follow the keyboard and make a variation that feels like yours.