Explore the topic

Chords & harmony

Build chords and understand how they move.

A practical starting point

Explore intervals, chord formulas and harmonic relationships on the keyboard. Original diagrams and examples connect written notes to sound.

2 published guides

Practise root position, first inversion and second inversion while keeping track of the bass note and chord tones.

RobPublished 7 Oct 20262 min read

Learn the root, third and fifth of a triad, then change one note to hear the difference between major and minor.

RobPublished 7 Oct 20261 min read

A little more context

Does a chord change when notes are reordered?

An inversion changes the bass while keeping the chord tones. A voicing can change spacing and register without changing the basic chord identity.

Why can a key have two note names?

A key identifies a sounding pitch; its written name describes its role in a scale or chord. Correct spelling makes relationships easier to read.