Right now, a G chord is a shape your fingers memorized. A constellation you copy. But constellations have astronomy underneath. Every chord is built from a scale by one elegant rule, and once you see it, you'll never look at your fretboard the same way. Ready for the recipe?
Take a scale. Pick a note. That's your ROOT, the chord's name and anchor. Now skip a note, take the next (the THIRD), skip again, take the next (the FIFTH). Three notes: root, third, fifth. That stack is a TRIAD. The basic chord. G major: G, B, D. Every open chord you know is one of these triads with some notes doubled across six strings to sound big.
◆ KEY IDEA
The third is the mood switch
Hear the recipe work (two minutes):
- 1Play E major, then Em. ONE finger lifted. That's the third dropping from major to minor. Feel the light dim.
- 2Play a G chord and pluck strings one at a time: every note is a G, a B, or a D. Doubles everywhere — still just three ingredients.
- 3Play a power chord (root + fifth only, no third): notice it's neither happy nor sad. No third, no mood. That neutrality is why distortion loves them.
★ PRO TIP
Sevenths and friends
Root names it, fifth steadies it, third gives it a heart, and the stack keeps climbing for the fancy stuff. Three notes and one rule underneath every shape you'll ever play. The constellations have astronomy now — enjoy the telescope.
Your turn ⭐
The chord recipe
Question 1 of 3
What three notes make up a basic chord (triad)?
The cheat sheet
- Chords are triads: root + third + fifth, stacked by the skip-one rule.
- The third is the mood switch — one fret between major-bright and minor-sad.
- Your open shapes are triads with doubled notes; power chords skip the third.
- Sevenths and fancy chords are just the stack continuing upward.
Common questions
Why does my G chord have six strings if a chord is three notes?
Doubling. The shape repeats G, B, and D across octaves so the chord rings big. Pluck each string of your G and name it: they're all one of the three ingredients.
What do names like 'Gsus4' or 'Cadd9' mean?
Recipe tweaks: 'sus' swaps the third for a neighbor note (suspending the mood switch. That floaty sound), 'add9' drops an extra scale note on top of the triad. The base recipe stays root-third-fifth; everything else is seasoning.
Do I need to know which notes are in every chord I play?
No, but knowing the RULE pays off constantly: it explains why shapes work, why one finger flips E to Em, and eventually how to build chords you've never been shown. Learn the rule, let the note names come lazily.