This is a very important question to any good musician. Whether it is power chords, bar chords, open chords or any other chord you can think of, knowing how chords are made and where they are used is one of the most crucial aspects of music. In this series of lessons you will learn: How to enhance a solo by harmonizing it, how chords are made, what makes harmony, what chords to use in a song, where to use a minor or a major, what that terrible sounding diminished chord is for and much more.

In this lesson of Chords and Harmony we will what makes up a chord or a harmony. If you have not already read the lesson What do numbers in a chord or a scale mean? I encourage you to do so now.

Each note in the scale has been given a number so it can be easily referred to. We are going to use the minor scale in the key of F. As you can see from the diagram the 1st note in the scale is know as the 1, 2nd as the 2, 3rd as the 3 and so on. So in the key of F, F is know as 1, G is 2, G# is 3, A# is 4, C is 5, C# is 6, D# is 7 and F an octave higher is 8.

In a standard chord you add the 1st, the 3rd and 5th from the note together in order to create harmony. The 1st from the note is it self. So the 1st note from F is F. The 2nd note from F is G, the 3rd note from F is G# and so on.

We are going to make an F Chord in the key of F.
First find F on the diagram below, it is the first note. In order to make a chord we take the 1st, 3rd and 5th. The 1st from F is F. Next we take the 3rd note from F, this would be G#. Last, we take the 5th from F this would be C. So an F Chord in the key of F uses the notes F, G# and C.

Now, we are going to make a G Chord in the key of F.
First find G on the diagram below, it is the 2nd note. In order to make a chord we take the 1st, 3rd and 5th from the note. The 1st from G is G. Next we take the 3rd note from G, this would be A#. Last, we take the 5th from G this would be C#.

Next, we are going to make an A# Chord in the key of F.
This chord may seem a little tricky at first because there is no note after D#, but in reality it is no more difficult then the rest of them. Follow along as we work it out.
First find A# on the diagram below, it is the 3rd note. In order to make a chord we take the 1st, 3rd and 5th from the note. The 1st from A# is of course A#. Next we take the 3rd note from A#, this would be C#. Now we look for a 5th, but there is nothing after the 4th from A#. What do we do? We start all over again with F, so 5th from A# is F.

Now you have learned the chords F, G, and A# in the minor scale key of F. Next, in Chords and Harmony II, we will learn what chords to use in a particular song, whether it is a minor, major or that pesky diminished chord.

If you have any questions ask them in a comment below and I will answer them as soon as possible.