What is "major chord"

n. (context music English) Any musical chord which has the tones a major third (as opposed to a minor third) and a perfect fifth above its root, i.e. the notes of a major triad, but possibly containing other intervals, such as a seventh or ninth.

__NOTOC__

In music theory, a major chord is a chord that has a root note, a major third above this root, and a perfect fifth above this root note. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad. In Western classical music from 1600 to 1820 and in Western pop, folk and rock music, a major chord is usually played as a triad.

The major triad (or major chord), along with the minor triad (or minor chord), is one of the basic building blocks of tonal music, the Western common practice period and Western pop, folk and rock music. It is considered consonant, stable, or not requiring resolution. In Western music, a minor chord, in comparison, "sounds darker than a major chord."

Major triads with additional notes, such as major seventh chord, are also called major chords. Major seventh chords are used in jazz and occasionally in rock music. In jazz, major chords may also have other chord tones added, such as the ninth and the thirteenth scale degrees.