Root, major third, perfect fifth
How it works
The Chord Finder displays the exact notes, interval structure, and description for any chord built from a selected root note and chord type — covering 14 chord types from basic triads through seventh chords, suspended chords, and power chords. It is a quick reference for musicians constructing chord voicings, composers building harmonic progressions, and students learning chord construction.
How chords are built: a chord is defined by a root note and a set of intervals above it (measured in semitones). Major triad: root + 4 semitones (major third) + 7 semitones (perfect fifth). Minor triad: root + 3 semitones (minor third) + 7 semitones. Each chord type has a fixed interval pattern that produces the same relative sound regardless of root note.
The 14 chord types included: - **Triads:** Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented - **Seventh chords:** Major 7 (maj7), Dominant 7, Minor 7, Minor Major 7 (mM7), Half Diminished (ø7), Diminished 7 (°7) - **Suspended chords:** Suspended 2 (sus2), Suspended 4 (sus4) — no third, creates an unresolved sound - **Extended/other:** Add 9 (major triad + ninth, no seventh), Power Chord (root + fifth only, no third — used in rock/metal)
Chord symbol notation: the chord symbol shown (e.g., Cm7, Gdim, Fsus4) follows standard chord chart notation as used in lead sheets, Nashville number system charts, and jazz charts.
Intervals display: each note shows "+Xst" indicating how many semitones above the root it falls. This interval-first view helps learners understand chord construction as a formula rather than memorizing notes per root.
Privacy: all chord calculations are pure integer arithmetic, performed locally.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Both are four-note chords built on a major triad, but they differ in the seventh: Major 7 (maj7) uses a major seventh — 11 semitones above the root. Dominant 7 uses a minor seventh — 10 semitones above the root. The dominant 7 chord creates a strong harmonic tension that resolves to the tonic — it's the V7 chord in functional harmony (G7 → C in C major). The major 7 chord is softer, often used as the I chord in jazz and pop for a smooth, dreamy sound. Cmaj7 sounds warm and stable; C7 sounds tense and wants to resolve.
- Suspended chords (sus2, sus4) replace the third with either the second or fourth. The third defines whether a chord is major or minor — removing it creates ambiguity, an unresolved sound that 'suspends' between major and minor. Sus4 chords (root + 4th + 5th) are very common in pop and rock for building tension before resolving to the major chord. Csus4 = C-F-G, which typically resolves to C = C-E-G. The resolution from sus4 to major is a classic pop and rock cadence.
- A power chord (notated with a 5, e.g., C5) consists of only the root and the perfect fifth — no third at all. Without a third, the chord is neither major nor minor. Power chords are the backbone of rock and metal guitar: they sound neutral and powerful through distortion. A full major or minor chord through heavy distortion creates dissonant intermodulation between the third and fifth — power chords avoid this by omitting the third. They are typically played on the lower strings of a guitar in root-fifth or root-fifth-octave voicings.
- Select the new root note in the root dropdown while keeping the same chord type. The interval pattern is fixed — Major always produces root + major third + fifth, regardless of root. Changing the root transposes all notes by the same interval. C Major (C-E-G) becomes G Major (G-B-D) when you change the root to G. This is the principle of transposition: the chord structure (interval pattern) stays constant while the absolute pitches shift.