Harmony

























Chords

Chords, the building block of harmony, consist of several notes sounding at the same time. The most basic chord is a “triad,” made up of three notes (or tones). A triad is built using alternate tones of a scale, for example, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th. The lowest tone, called the “root,” gives the triad its name.

In a “broken chord,” or arpeggio, the tones of a chord are sounded one after another instead of together. Arpeggios can appear in the melody or in the accompaniment. Most people think composers first write a melody and then add chords. Most often, the opposite is true — the chords shape the melody.
 

Select the Chord or Arpeggio tab. In the Chord section, click any three notes on the keyboard to create your own triads. Once you have added your own notes, click the play button to hear the chord. In the Arpeggio section, you can click the Play button to hear a song using chords.