3.4 · Building Chords

Diminished & augmented

A chord's quality is its flavor: major, minor, diminished, or augmented. Major and minor differ by the third. The other two alter the fifth: lower it by a semitone for diminished, or raise it by a semitone for augmented.

The four qualities

The bottom bracket on each ruler counts semitones from the root. The fifth is the note that changes: 7 in major and minor, 6 in diminished, 8 in augmented.

43CEG7bright, open34CE♭G7dark, inward33CE♭G♭6tense, wound up44CEG♯8floating, dreamlike

Game · Name the quality

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A mystery chord. Which of the four qualities is it?

Listen first. Then answer.

Game · Build the chord

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Now build all four yourself. Each quality's ruler gives the two gaps to count.

Major43rootthirdfifth7
Minor34rootthirdfifth7
Augmented44rootthirdfifth8
Diminished33rootthirdfifth6

Build C major. Tap the root: C.

Quiz

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A diminished triad…

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson. A perfect run sticks: a later miss never undoes it.A chord on every step →