Chord Trees: Build Any Chord From Any Root on Piano

Any single note belongs to exactly six major and minor triads: as the root of a major and a minor chord, the fifth of a major and a minor chord, the major third of one major chord and the minor third of one minor chord. For C these are C, Cm, F, Fm, Ab and Am.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 21 min

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This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music teaches the Chord Tree idea: start from one melody note and work out every major and minor triad that contains it. You then play those chords as inversions while that note stays in place, a drill he calls a chord wall. It suits pianists who know basic triads and want smoother inversions and more harmony options for a melody.

Why every note has six triads

A major or minor triad has three notes: a root, a third and a perfect fifth. So any note can be the root, the third or the fifth of a chord. Ask four questions:

1. Root: which major and minor chord is this note the root of? That gives two chords.
2. Fifth: which note is it the perfect fifth of? That root gives a major and a minor chord, two more.
3. Major third: which note is it the major third of? That gives one major chord.
4. Minor third: which note is it the minor third of? That gives one minor chord.

The chord tree for C

• C as root: C major (C E G) and C minor (C Eb G)
• C as fifth: F major (F A C) and F minor (F Ab C)
• C as major third: Ab major (Ab C Eb)
• C as minor third: A minor (A C E)

The chord tree for Eb

• Eb as root: Eb major (Eb G Bb) and Eb minor (Eb Gb Bb)
• Eb as fifth: Ab major (Ab C Eb) and Ab minor (Ab Cb Eb)
• Eb as major third: B major (B D# F#), where D# is the same key as Eb, an enharmonic shift
• Eb as minor third: C minor (C Eb G)

Knowing your fifths, or using the circle of fifths, makes the fifth question quick.

The chord wall exercises

Keep the chosen note on the same key with the same finger, and change only the other notes. The order of chords can be random, since every combination sounds musical.

Exercise 1: note at the bottom

With your thumb on C: C E G (C major), C Eb Ab (Ab major), C F A (F major), C E A (A minor), C F Ab (F minor), C Eb G (C minor).

Exercise 2: note at the top

Now C is the highest note: E G C (C major), Eb Ab C (Ab major), F A C (F major), F Ab C (F minor), Eb G C (C minor), E A C (A minor).

Exercise 3: note in the middle

Finally C sits in the centre: G C E (C major), G C Eb (C minor), Ab C F (F minor), A C F (F major), A C E (A minor), Ab C Eb (Ab major).

Repeat all three exercises with Eb as the fixed note, using its six chords.

Making music from the exercise

Because all six chords share one note, any of them can harmonise that note in a melody. When a singer holds a long C, for example, you could move through C minor, Ab major and F major underneath for a dramatic, film-theme sound.

• Pair two chords into a two-chord progression and improvise a melody over it. C major with Ab major works well.
• C major with F minor suggests a scale Jason Zac likes: C Mixolydian b6 (C D E F G Ab Bb).
• Practise the same walls in your left hand to improve shifting, while the right hand plays a melody.
• On a keyboard, try layering piano with strings for a rich, orchestral sound.

How to practise

Start slowly and keep the shared note truly still. Work through bottom, top and middle positions for one note before moving to another. Once the shapes feel secure, sing or play melodies over pairs of chords, so the drill turns into composing.

Questions about this lesson

How many major and minor chords contain a given note?

Six. The note is the root of one major and one minor triad, the fifth of one major and one minor triad, the major third of one major triad and the minor third of one minor triad.

Which triads contain the note C?

C major, C minor, F major, F minor, Ab major and A minor. C is the root of the first two, the fifth of the F chords, the major third of Ab major and the minor third of A minor.

Why does B major appear in the chord tree for Eb?

B major is spelled B D# F#, and D# is the same piano key as Eb. This is an enharmonic shift, so Eb works as the major third of B major.

What is the chord wall exercise?

You keep one note on the same key and finger while playing all six chords that contain it as inversions. You do this with the note at the bottom, then at the top, then in the middle.

Practise it

• Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
• Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
• Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• Piano Chord Inversions: Play Any Progression From Any Major ScaleTo play any chord progression smoothly on piano, write out the chords of the major scale, list every inversion of each chord, then move between chords by keeping their common note in place while the left hand plays each chord's root.
• 5 Useful Exercises to Practise a Chord With an Extra Note on PianoAdding a copy of one triad note, usually the octave of the lowest note, turns a three-note chord into a four-note shape that you can use for 6/8 arpeggios, salsa montunos, one-hand melody-and-chord playing, a left-hand banjo roll and blues grooves.
• Every Chord Formula, Every Inversion, Every Speed Level: One Triad WorkoutTo build chord fluency on piano, harmonise F major and F harmonic minor into seven triads each, then play every chord in root position, first inversion and second inversion as block chords up and down the scale, changing chords every bar, every two beats and finally every beat.
• Play Melody and Chords in One Hand: The Piano Trick That Sounds ImpossibleTo play melody and chords in one right hand, keep the melody note on top with your pinky or ring finger, choose a chord (I, IV or V) that contains that note, play it in the inversion that puts the melody highest, and arpeggiate the lower notes underneath.