Learn All 12 Major and Minor Piano Chords (Triads) Using Intervals, Shapes and Theory

Every major and minor triad uses a root and a perfect fifth; a major chord adds the major third (four semitones above the root), and a minor chord adds the minor third (three semitones above the root).

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 13 min

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This lesson shows you how to build any of the 12 major and 12 minor chords on the piano. It is for beginners who want to understand how chords are made, not just memorise them. You will learn the intervals inside each chord and a simple system of white-key and black-key shapes for remembering all 24.

What a triad is

Major and minor chords are triads, meaning they have three notes. A major chord, such as D major, sounds happy, hopeful and uplifting. A minor chord, such as F minor, sounds sadder, more serious or melancholic. There are 12 of each, one for every note.

Step 1: The root and the perfect fifth

The first note of any chord is its root, the note it is named after. For D major and D minor, the root is D.

Both chords also share the perfect fifth. From D, that is A. You can find the fifth in two ways:

• Count five steps up the major scale of the root: D, E, F#, G, A.
• Use the circle of fifths, which moves in perfect fifths clockwise. The circle is worth learning well, as it also helps with cadences, scales and key signatures. Writing it out regularly is the best way to memorise it.

Learn the sound of the fifth too, so you can hear it instantly rather than counting up to it.

Step 2: The major third for a major chord

The middle note of a major chord is the major third. For D it is F#. You can find it by:

• Going three scale steps from the root: D, E, F#.
• Moving four chromatic steps (semitones), playing every key in a zigzag: D to D#, D# to E, E to F, F to F#.

So D major is D, F#, A.

Step 3: The minor third for a minor chord

The middle note of a minor chord is the minor third. For D it is F. You can find it as the third note of the minor scale, or by moving three chromatic steps up from the root. Another shortcut is to lower the major third by one semitone. So D minor is D, F, A.

Step 4: Group chords by shape

Look at the pattern of white (W) and black (B) keys in each chord. Chords with the same shape often appear together in the same keys. For example, A, D and E major all belong to the key of A major.

Major chord shapes

• All white: C major, F major, G major
• White, black, white: D major, E major, A major
• Black, white, black: Db major, Eb major, Ab major
• Unique: F# (Gb) major is all black; Bb major is black, white, white; B major is white, black, black

Minor chord shapes

• All white: A minor, D minor, E minor
• White, black, white: C minor, F minor, G minor
• Black, white, black: C# minor, F# minor, G# minor
• Unique: D# (Eb) minor is all black; B minor is white, white, black; Bb minor is black, black, white

Notice that the two B chords are the odd ones out for both major and minor.

How to practise

1. Pick a root and find its perfect fifth.
2. Add the major third (four semitones) or the minor third (three semitones). If you get stuck, count chromatically.
3. Play the chord and listen to its happy or sad quality.
4. Write the notes down, then notice how the shape feels under your hand.
5. Play each shape group together until you can find every chord quickly.

Once you know the notes of all 24 chords, the next step is chord inversions, which help you move smoothly between chords in a progression.

Questions about this lesson

What is the difference between a major and a minor chord?

Both use the root and the perfect fifth, but the major chord has a major third and the minor chord has a minor third. The major third is one semitone higher, which gives the chord its brighter, happier sound.

How do I find the major third of any note on the piano?

Count four chromatic steps (semitones) up from the root, playing every white and black key. You can also go three steps up the major scale, for example D, E, F#.

Which major chords use only white keys?

C major, F major and G major are the all-white major chords. A minor, D minor and E minor are the all-white minor chords.

Why are the B and Bb chords considered unusual?

Their key patterns do not match any of the main shape groups. Bb major is black, white, white and B major is white, black, black, so they need to be memorised one by one.

Practise it

• Circle of FifthsExplore the Circle of Fifths through keys, scales, chords and intervals.
• PitaraPlay the piano on your computer keys or a MIDI keyboard and see every note on the staff with its chord name.
• 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

• Build Cinematic Piano Chord Progressions Using Intervals and the Circle of FifthsYou can create cinematic piano progressions by moving major or minor triads by a fixed interval: perfect fifths and fourths around the Circle of Fifths give strong cadences, while repeated minor thirds (diminished seventh roots) or major thirds (augmented triad roots) give mysterious, movie-like chord changes.
• 5 Finger Piano Exercises for Beginners That Sound BeautifulPlace your right thumb on C and your pinky on G. Then play four drills: up and down, in thirds, in triplet groups and in two-note pairs, all over a steady left-hand pulse. Next, change the second, third and fourth notes to turn the same drills into minor, dreamy or flamenco-like music.
• Carnatic Swaras as Piano Intervals: The Melakarta Raga Finger DrillThe swara challenge keeps Sa and Pa fixed, combines the three Ri and three Ga swaras into six valid pairs, pairs each with either shuddha or prati Ma for 12 permutations, and plays each as a Sa-Ri-Ga-Ma-Pa-Ma-Ga-Ri-Sa five-finger drill on the piano.
• Chord Trees: Build Any Chord From Any Root on PianoAny 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.