Basic Chords Practice
Here is a practice routine that you can yes to get you familiar with 4 basic types of chords in every key: major, minor, fully diminished, and augmented. The key to doing this routine is to keep in mind how each chord is formed, what moves, and what doesn’t move. If you think this will be a breeze, you’re sadly mistaken because even I struggled a little with this at first. Here are some tips to help you out:
Major chord = 1-3-5 (1st, 3rd, and 5th scale degrees)
Minor chord = 1-b3-5 (same as the major chord, except the 3rd is lowered 1/2 step)
Fully diminished chord = 1-b3-b5-bb7 (same as the minor chord, except the 5th is lowered 1/2 step, and the 7th lowered a whole step is added)
Augmented chord = 1-3-#5 (same as the major chord, except the 5th is raised 1/2 step)
*Notice that 1 never moves, but everything else does
Root Position Chords: 1-3-5-(7)
C / C-E-G
C / C-Eb-G
C / C-Eb-Gb-Bbb
C / C-E-G#
C# / C#-E#-G# = Db / Db-F-Ab
C# / C#-E-G# = Db / Db-Fb-Ab
C# / C#-E-G-Bb = Db / Db-Fb-Abb-Cbb
C# / C#-E#-G## = Db / Db-F-A
D / D-F#-A
D / D-F-A
D / D-F-Ab-Cb
D / D-F#-A#
Eb / Eb-G-Bb
Eb / Eb-Gb-Bb
Eb / Eb-Gb-Bbb-Dbb
Eb / Eb-G-B
E / E-G#-B
E / E-G-B
E / E-G-Bb-Db
E / E-G#-B#
F / F-A-C
F / F-Ab-C
F / F-Ab-Cb-Ebb
F / F-A-C#
F# / F#-A#-C# = Gb / Gb-Bb-Db
F# / F#-A-C# = Gb / Gb-Bbb-Db
F# / F#-A-C-Eb = Gb / Gb-Bbb-Dbb-Fbb
F# / F#-A#-C## = Gb / Gb-Bb-D
G / G-B-D
G / G-Bb-D
G / G-Bb-Db-Fb
G / G-B-D#
Ab / Ab-C-Eb
Ab / Ab-Cb-Eb
Ab / Ab-Cb-Ebb-Gbb
Ab / Ab-C-E
A / A-C#-E
A / A-C-E
A / A-C-Eb-Gb
A / A-C#-E#
Bb / Bb-D-F
Bb / Bb-Db-F
Bb / Bb-Db-Fb-Abb
Bb / Bb-D-F#
B / B-D#-F# = Cb / Cb-Eb-Gb
B / B-D-F# = Cb / Cb-Ebb-Gb
B / B-D-F-Ab = Cb / Cb-Ebb-Gbb-Bbbb
B / B-D#-F## = Cb / Cb-Eb-G
1st Inversion Chords: 3-5-(7)-1 (a little harder now)
C / E-G-C
C / Eb-G-C
C / Eb-Gb-Bbb-C
C / E-G#-C
C# / E#-G#-C# = Db / F-Ab-Db
C# / E-G#-C# = Db / Fb-Ab-Db
C# / E-G-Bb-C# = Db / Fb-Abb-Cbb-Db
C# / E#-G##-C#- = Db / F-A-Db
D / F#-A-D
D / F-A-D
D / F-Ab-Cb-D
D / F#-A#-D
Eb / G-Bb-Eb
Eb / Gb-Bb-Eb
Eb / Gb-Bbb-Dbb-Eb
Eb / G-B-Eb
E / G#-B-E
E / G-B-E
E / G-Bb-Db-E
E / G#-B#-E
F / A-C-F
F / Ab-C-F
F / Ab-Cb-Ebb-F
F / A-C#-F
F# / A#-C#-F# = Gb / Bb-Db-Gb
F# / A-C#-F# = Gb / Bbb-Db-Gb
F# / A-C-Eb-F# = Gb / Bbb-Dbb-Fbb-Gb
F# / A#-C##-F# = Gb / Bb-D-Gb
G / B-D-G
G / Bb-D-G
G / Bb-Db-Fb-G
G / B-D#-G
Ab / C-Eb-Ab
Ab / Cb-Eb-Ab
Ab / Cb-Ebb-Gbb-Ab
Ab / C-E-Ab
A / C#-E-A
A / C-E-A
A / C-Eb-Gb-A
A / C#-E#-A
Bb / D-F-Bb
Bb / Db-F-Bb
Bb / Db-Fb-Abb-Bb
Bb / D-F#-Bb
B / D#-F#-B = Cb / Eb-Gb-Cb
B / D-F#-B = Cb / Ebb-Gb-Cb
B / D-F-Ab-B = Cb / Ebb-Gbb-Bbbb-Cb
B / D#-F##-B = Cb / Eb-G-Cb
2nd Inversion Chords: 5-(7)-1-3 (a little more harder now)
C / G-C-E
C / G-C-Eb
C / Gb-Bbb-C-Eb
C / G#-C-E
C# / G#-C#-E# = Db / Ab-Db-F
C# / G#-C#-E = Db / Ab-Db-Fb
C# / G-Bb-C#-E = Db / Abb-Cbb-Db-Fb
C# / G##-C#-E# = Db / A-Db-F
D / A-D-F#
D / A-D-F
D / Ab-Cb-D-F
D / A#-D-F#
Eb / Bb-Eb-G
Eb / Bb-Eb-Gb
Eb / Bbb-Dbb-Eb-Gb
Eb / B-Eb-G
E / B-E-G#
E / B-E-G
E / Bb-Db-E-G
E / B#-E-G#
F / C-F-A
F / C-F-Ab
F / Cb-Ebb-F-Ab
F / C#-F-A
F# / C#-F#-A# = Gb / Db-Gb-Bb
F# / C#-F#-A = Gb / Db-Gb-Bbb
F# / C-Eb-F#-A = Gb / Dbb-Fbb-Gb-Bbb
F# / C##-F#-A# = Gb / D-Gb-Bb
G / D-G-B
G / D-G-Bb
G / Db-Fb-G-Bb
G / D#-G-B
Ab / Eb-Ab-C
Ab / Eb-Ab-Cb
Ab / Ebb-Gbb-Ab-Cb
Ab / E-Ab-C
A / E-A-C#
A / E-A-C
A / Eb-Gb-A-C
A / E#-A-C#
Bb / F-Bb-D
Bb / F-Bb-Db
Bb / Fb-Abb-Bb-Db
Bb / F#-Bb-D
B / F#-B-D# = Cb / Gb-Cb-Eb
B / F#-B-D = Cb / Gb-Cb-Ebb
B / F-Ab-B-D = Cb / Gbb-Bbbb-Cb-Ebb
B / F##-B-D# = Cb / G-Cb-Eb
