As a producer or beatmaker, you might assume that focusing on the beat or melody is where your focus should lie. But if you want to infuse variety and complexity into your music, you should gain a good understanding of chords and their role in music production/beat making
The blog article titled “A guide to different types of chords in music” from Native Instruments Blog offers a comprehensive overview of chords, their construction, and their significance in music production. The guide emphasizes the importance of understanding chords to add variety and complexity to musical creations, whether in beat making or production.
It introduces the concept of chords in music as groups of notes played simultaneously to create harmony and details the construction of chords using notes from scales, with examples like the C major scale and explanations of intervals.
The article categorizes chords into several types:
- Major chords: Bright sounding, often perceived as “happy.”
- Minor chords: Darker in tone, commonly associated with a “sad” feel.
- Diminished chords: Less common, create tension and sound unstable.
- Augmented chords: Unstable sounding, add unique character to music.
- Seventh chords: Extend beyond triads, adding depth with an extra note.
- Extended chords: Further extend chord structures, adding color and variety.
- Suspended chords: Omit the third degree, creating an ambiguous sound.
Through these explanations, the guide demonstrates how different chords contribute to the emotional and harmonic landscape of music, supporting melodies and enriching musical expression across various genres.
Source: A guide to different types of chords in music | Native Instruments Blog
