How to Find the 3 Primary Chords
To work out the three main chords for any key, you need to find the 5th note of the scale ABOVE the tonic, and the 5th note of the scale BELOW the tonic.
For instance, in the key of C, the tonic is C. The 5th note above is G, which we also call the dominant. The 5th note below the tonic is F, which we call the subdominant. And we know that the 3 primary chords in the key of C are C, G and F.
Finding the 3 primary chords in ANY key is just as easy. All you have to do is count UP 5 notes, including the tonic note in your count. So in G major, the dominant (5th note in the scale going up) is D. Likewise, the subdominant (5th note in the scale going down) is C.
Look closely at the images nearby to see exactly how easy it is to work this out. Then, once you know what note the chords start on, you can make triads (3-note chords) starting on those notes.
Triad Maker
To make the 3 primary chords or triads in any key, simply choose the tonic, dominant or subdominant, and build a 3-note chord adding a 3rd above and a 5th above.
