Learn How to Play Ukulele: What Is a Chord?

So now that we understand a little bit about what music theory actually is, I'm going to write a little bit about the thing that makes the ukulele world go 'round: CHORDS.

But what is a chord?

Simply defined, a chord is three or more notes that are somehow related to one another through their location on the scale in a specific key of music. 

Did I lose ya?

Here's what that means: every piece of music you play is made up of notes, or tones, on a scale. These tones are a whole or half step apart and repeat in a predictable pattern, depending on whether you're playing a major or minor scale, or some other type of scale. A C major scale is the most basic, consisting of 8 notes (an octave) that have no sharps or flats - if you sit down at a piano and locate the middle C, the next 7 notes you play are all the white keys. There are no black keys - the sharps and flats - in a C major scale, so it's usually the easiest one to play on any instrument. 

You probably already can hear the C major scale in your head if you know the song "Do Re Mi", sung by Julie Andrews in The Sound Of Music. 

A basic triad chord consists of three notes: the root, and then the two notes at the third and fifth intervals above the root. So a C major chord would consist of the notes C, E, and G in their natural (no sharps or flats) position. 

Once you get the hang of making your basic triads, there's a whole world of chord options out there for you: adding in notes at the seventh interval, the fourth, the second; adding sharps and flats to those notes, rearranging the notes so that maybe the root is on top and the others are below it - the sky is the limit!

It can also be very confusing until you master the basics. So what's the best way to start understanding how chords work?

My best advice would be to learn your scales and play them every day! When you start learning your scales, you get a better understanding of the relationship between notes and the intervals and what those all sound like. Once you get a better understanding of those relationships and where those notes are located on your fret board, you can start to experiment with inverting your chords and learning about improvisation. 

Stay tuned for more about scales and scale exercises!