Music workshop
Chords
Add a third note and explore each voice.
Theory
01
Three notes, two thirds
A triad uses alternate letter positions: C–E–G. Neighbours are thirds; the outside notes form a fifth.
Hear the voices separately, then together.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
02
One note changes the sound
C–E–G is a major triad; C–E♭–G is minor. The middle note changes. This describes the structure, not a rule about happy or sad music.
Switch between major and minor.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
03
C and Cm: a short chord name
The capital letter names the root: C, D, E, F, G, A or B. C alone means a major triad; the small m in Cm means minor. An accidental beside the letter changes the root: F♯m is F-sharp minor.
Compare C and Cm. The symbol, staff and piano describe the same chord.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
04
Add the seventh
A seventh chord has four notes in thirds: root, third, fifth and seventh. A seventh spans seven letter positions, counting the root as one: C…B. C–B♭ is 10 semitones; C–B is 11. C7 is C–E–G–B♭. Cmaj7 (also written CM7) is C–E–G–B. Cm7 is C–E♭–G–B♭. Capital M and lowercase m mean different things.
Switch symbols. Notice whether the third or seventh changes. Listen to or edit each note.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4 · B♭4
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
05
Move the structure
A major triad has 4 and 7 semitones above its root; a minor triad has 3 and 7. Keep these distances and the letter spelling when starting elsewhere.
Build the same structure from D or F.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
06
Rearrange the same notes
Move the bottom note up an octave to make an inversion. The chord root stays the same, but a different voice is at the bottom.
Compare root position and two inversions.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4
The chord keeps the same pitch classes. Its bottom note and voice positions change.
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
07
Several waves, one signal
The voices' vibrations add together. Mute one voice and hear its role. Consonance cannot be read from wave crossings alone: timbre and musical context matter too.
Toggle voices and watch the sum change.
Select a note. Drag it, press ↑ ↓ or a piano key to change only that note.
C4 · E4 · G4
A note or piano key sounds alone. “Together” plays the selected set.
Vibrations over 10 ms
0–10 ms. Pure tones share a phase origin. All lines use one scale: each voice has amplitude 1/N, where N is the voice count. The sum adds the displayed lines; the loudness envelope is omitted.
Practice
Explore freely: no mistakes and no score here.
Select a staff note, then edit it with the piano or arrow keys.
A key-signature accidental applies to that letter in every octave. The labels here list pitches; individual accidentals are shown on notes separately.
Vibrations over 10 ms
Pure tones share a phase origin. All lines use one scale: each voice has amplitude 1/N, where N is the voice count. The sum adds the displayed lines; the loudness envelope is omitted.
Games
Choose a game. One card holds everything for the task.
Add notes with the keys. Select a staff note to replace it.
A key-signature accidental applies to that letter in every octave. The labels here list pitches; individual accidentals are shown on notes separately.
Vibrations over 10 ms
Pure tones share a phase origin. All lines use one scale: each voice has amplitude 1/N, where N is the voice count. The sum adds the displayed lines; the loudness envelope is omitted.
These are pure tones. Add harmonics and explore timbre in the sound laboratory.
Sound laboratory