A chord is what happens when you play two or more notes at the same time. That's it - just notes sounding together.
Think of it like cooking. A single note is a raw ingredient - fine on its own, but limited. A chord is a dish - ingredients combined to create something with more flavour. The simplest chords use just three notes. These are called triads.
A single note vs. a chord
Tap the piano below to hear a single note - one ingredient on its own. Then hit Play to hear three notes together: C, E, and G. That's a C major chord - a complete dish.
C Major - C, E, G
How chords are built
Most chords follow a simple recipe: stack notes in intervals of thirds. Start on a root note, skip one note in the scale, then skip another.
This root, third, fifth pattern is the base recipe for almost every chord. Like salt, fat, and acid in cooking - these three elements are what make it work. Changing the type of third is like swapping one key ingredient. Same structure, different flavour.
Major vs. minor
The difference between major and minor is one note - the third is lowered by a semitone. It's like using lemon instead of honey - same dish, one swap, completely different character.
The third is the note that decides the flavour.
Major sounds bright and resolved. Minor sounds darker or more introspective. The next lesson explores this in detail.
Why chords matter
If a melody is the main dish, chords are the seasoning. They set the mood, create movement, and give everything else context. Learning chords is like learning to season properly - it's what turns simple ingredients into something that actually tastes like something.
Key takeaway
A chord = multiple notes at once. Most follow a three-ingredient recipe: root, 3rd, 5th. The type of third determines the chord's flavour.
Listen to some chords
Tap each to hear how they sound.
Try building your own chord progressions
Use Starts to generate MIDI with chords, melodies, bass, and drums.