Chord Basics (page 2 of 3)

And each of the other chord members has a name, too. The note that forms a third with the root, is called the third of the chord.

E is the third of the C chord.

But maybe you're thinking, "Wait a minute. You said that a third was an interval—a two-note combination. Now you’re saying it’s a single note?!"

Well, we use the same word for two separate, but related, things. A third is an interval, and it’s also the name we give to one particular chord member.

And the remaining note of our chord we call a fifth, because it forms a fifth with the root.

G is the 5th of the C chord.

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