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Chord types: hear every chord by ear

Eleven chord qualities, from the major triad to the diminished seventh. Play each one, see its formula, and test yourself.

A chord is three or more notes played together, usually stacked in thirds from a root. Its quality comes from the intervals above the root: a major chord is 0-4-7 semitones (C E G), a minor chord 0-3-7 (C E♭ G). Learning to hear chord qualities is the step after intervals in ear training.

Play all 11 chord types on C

0-4-7Major chordBright, open and finished0-3-7Minor chordDarker, softer, often described as sad or serious, but still stable: a song can end on a minor chord and sound finished.0-3-6Diminished chordTight, dark and restless, like a minor chord that has been squeezed0-4-8Augmented chordShimmering and uneasy, as if floating0-2-7Sus2 chordOpen, modern and ambiguous: no major or minor colour0-5-7Sus4 chordTense in a gentle way, hovering and expectant, then satisfying when it resolves to the major chord.0-4-7-10Dominant 7th chordBluesy and restless, strongly pulling to resolve0-4-7-11Major 7th chordLush and gentle, with a slight shimmer from the seventh sitting a half step under the octave.0-3-7-10Minor 7th chordRelaxed, soulful and smooth0-3-6-10Half diminished chordMoody and searching, the classic sound of the ii chord in a minor key (ii ø7 – V7 – i).0-3-6-9Diminished 7th chordTense and theatrical: the sound of silent-film villains and dramatic classical passages

Major, minor, diminished or augmented?

The four triads, on different roots. Name each one.

1. Which chord is this?

Right. D F♯ A is D, a major chord.

Not quite: the answer is Major. D F♯ A is D, a major chord.

2. Which chord is this?

Right. F A♭ C♭ is Fdim, a diminished chord.

Not quite: the answer is Diminished. F A♭ C♭ is Fdim, a diminished chord.

3. Which chord is this?

Right. G B D is G, a major chord.

Not quite: the answer is Major. G B D is G, a major chord.

4. Which chord is this?

Right. E G B is Em, a minor chord.

Not quite: the answer is Minor. E G B is Em, a minor chord.

5. Which chord is this?

Right. C E G is C, a major chord.

Not quite: the answer is Major. C E G is C, a major chord.

6. Which chord is this?

Right. G B♭ D is Gm, a minor chord.

Not quite: the answer is Minor. G B♭ D is Gm, a minor chord.

Score: / 6

Chord formula chart

ChordSymbolSemitonesNotes in C
Major chordC0-4-7C E G
Minor chordCm0-3-7C E♭ G
Diminished chordCdim0-3-6C E♭ G♭
Augmented chordCaug0-4-8C E G♯
Sus2 chordCsus20-2-7C D G
Sus4 chordCsus40-5-7C F G
Dominant 7th chordC70-4-7-10C E G B♭
Major 7th chordCmaj70-4-7-11C E G B
Minor 7th chordCm70-3-7-10C E♭ G B♭
Half diminished chordCm7♭50-3-6-10C E♭ G♭ B♭
Diminished 7th chordCdim70-3-6-9C E♭ G♭ B♭♭

Frequently asked questions

What are the main types of chords?

Four triads (major, minor, diminished, augmented), two suspended chords (sus2, sus4) and five common seventh chords (dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th, half diminished, diminished 7th). Almost every chord symbol builds on these.

How do you tell major and minor chords apart by ear?

Major sounds bright and settled, minor darker. The only difference is the middle note (the third): play them back to back on the same root and listen to that note move a semitone.

What is a triad?

A chord of three notes stacked in thirds: root, third and fifth. Major, minor, diminished and augmented are the four triads.

What makes a seventh chord?

A triad plus a seventh above the root. The type of triad and the type of seventh (minor, major or diminished) give the five common seventh chords.

Keep going

BeforeIntervalsThe building blocks of chordsNextChord progressionsChords in motionRelatedScalesWhere chords come from