Submitted by RoHo223

Chords are also known as triads. Which means, it takes 3 tones to make a chord. To find the major chord of any chord, just write out the scale. The chord is built using the 1, the 3 and the 5 of the scale....example in G major:

G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G is the key of G major. Take the 1, the 3 and the 5 and you have G, B and D. Now, i'll graph the G chord and you'll see the tones used to make the chord...

-------3----G-------
-------0----B-------
-------0----G--------
-------0----D--------
-------2----B-------
-------3----G--------

Now in C
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C........1, 3, 5 = C, E, G

------0-----E------
------1-----C------
------0-----G------
------2-----E------
------3-----C------
------x------------ 

now, to make a chord minor, diminished or augmented, you do the following:

Minor: you lower the 3rd by one half step becoming G, Bb, D
Diminished: you lower the 3rd and 5th one half step becoming G, Bb, Db
Augmented: you raise the 5th.....G, B, D#