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Actaully, an interval is technically a chord.
A '''chord''' in [[music]] consists of multiple [[musical note|notes]] played simultaneously, though two notes played simultaneously are usually called an interval. The notes used to "build" a chord are usually assigned numbers, starting with "1" to denote the "root" note, which provides the name of the chord. [[flat (music)|Flat]] and [[sharp (music)|sharp]] symbols are used to alter the position in the [[key (music|key]] that given notes are drawn from.
There are many types of chords in Western music, including (examples are all on C):
*Major chord - consists of three notes each three half-steps apart: 1-3-5, C-E-G
*Minor chord - the middle note is dropped one half step: 1-b3-5, C-D#-G
*Power chord or open fifth - the "3" is dropped (common in hard rock): 1-5, C-G
*Seventh chord - adds a fourth note, which depends on the key or sound desired.
**Major seventh chord: 1-3-5-7, C-E-G-B
**Minor seventh chord: 1-3-5-b7, C-E-G-Bb
*Augmented chord - at its simplest, the fifth is raised a half step: 1-3-#5, C-E-G#
*Diminished chord - the third and fifth are both dropped one half step: 1-b3-b5, C-D#-F#
*Ninth chord - at its simplest, adds a fifth note: 1-3-5-7-9, C-E-G-B-D
At this point, chords can start to have incredbily complex structures, for instance, the ninth chord described above could be minor, augmented, diminished, have a flat seventh, have missing notes between the root and the ninth, etc.
The use of different kinds of chords (and [[chord progression|chord progressions]]) is very important to the sound and feel of different styles and genres of music.
There are many types of chords in Western music, including (examples are all on C):
*Major chord - consists of three notes each three half-steps apart: 1-3-5, C-E-G
*Minor chord - the middle note is dropped one half step: 1-b3-5, C-D#-G
*Power chord or open fifth - the "3" is dropped (common in hard rock): 1-5, C-G
*Seventh chord - adds a fourth note, which depends on the key or sound desired.
**Major seventh chord: 1-3-5-7, C-E-G-B
**Minor seventh chord: 1-3-5-b7, C-E-G-Bb
*Augmented chord - at its simplest, the fifth is raised a half step: 1-3-#5, C-E-G#
*Diminished chord - the third and fifth are both dropped one half step: 1-b3-b5, C-D#-F#
*Ninth chord - at its simplest, adds a fifth note: 1-3-5-7-9, C-E-G-B-D
At this point, chords can start to have incredbily complex structures, for instance, the ninth chord described above could be minor, augmented, diminished, have a flat seventh, have missing notes between the root and the ninth, etc.
The use of different kinds of chords (and [[chord progression|chord progressions]]) is very important to the sound and feel of different styles and genres of music.