Recognizing a chord · Triads · Music theory
To find out which chord some notes form, arrange them in thirds: the note on which they all stack third by third is the root. E–G–C, rearranged, is C–E–G:…
Recognizing a chord
To find out which chord some notes form, arrange them in thirds: the note on which they all stack third by third is the root. E–G–C, rearranged, is C–E–G: C major.
The order of the upper notes, or how far apart they are, changes nothing: only the bass counts.
Recognizing chords in a real score
In real music the notes of a chord rarely appear together and clean. An accompaniment can arpeggiate them and a melody can add foreign notes, passing or decorative. To find the chord, look above all at the notes on strong beats, the longest ones and those in the bass.
If a note is left that does not fit in thirds, it is most likely a non-chord tone. A good habit is to try removing it and see if what remains forms a triad.