G
FamousStandard320003: four open strings
Chord stories
The happiest chord
In listening studies the plain major chord comes out as the happiest of all, with the minor chord the saddest. On guitar the open major chords, G, D, A, E and C, sound brightest of all, because their open strings ring. Here they are, and the progressions that sound happiest.
D
Standardxx0232: high and bright
A
Standardx02220
E
FamousStandard022100: the whole guitar rings
G6
FamousStandard320000: a sixth for sunshine
C6/9
Standardx32233: the six-nine
Tempo85
↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.
Colours
homethe pullthe doorthe shadowthe lift
What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.I–IV–V–I
I | IV | V | I
G, C, D, G: three major chords and home again, the brightest loop there is.
Lydian I–II
I | II | I | II
D to E: the major chord on the second degree comes from the Lydian mode, brighter than major.
Pop with a lift
I | IV | vi | V
C, F, Am, G: one minor chord for colour, then V to pull back up.
Doo-wop
I | vi | IV | V
The fifties progression: C, Am, F, G, sunny and round.
Why major chords sound happy
A major chord has a major third at the bottom, four half steps from its root; a minor chord has three. That one half step is most of the difference between happy and sad. In a study by Lahdelma and Eerola (2016), listeners heard single chords with no tune around them and rated the major triad the happiest, both on piano and on strings, musicians and non-musicians alike.
The brightest shapes on guitar
Open chords sound happier than the same chords played as barres, because the open strings ring on. E major uses all six strings, three of them open; G major rings four. Add a sixth, as in G6, or a sixth and a ninth, as in C6/9, and the chord turns sunny without losing its major sound: the sound of a lot of surf, swing and country music.
The happiest progressions
Happy progressions stay in a major key and lean on the major chords, I, IV and V. The first above, I–IV–V–I, is the oldest and plainest. The four chords of pop add one minor chord, vi, for colour. Borrowed chords can sound happier still: ♭VI and ♭VII marching up to I is the Mario cadence, the sound of a level won.
Brighter than major
The Lydian mode raises the fourth note of the major scale, and musicians often call it brighter even than major: the second progression above, I–II, uses its major chord on the second degree (D to E in D). It is often given as the sound of film music for wonder and flying.
Questions
What is the happiest chord?
The plain major chord: in listening studies major triads are rated the happiest of all chords, and minor triads the saddest.
Why do major chords sound happy?
Their third is a major third, four half steps above the root. Lower it a half step and the chord turns minor and sounds sad.
What is the happiest chord progression?
There is no single one, but I–IV–V–I in a major key (G, C, D, G) is the plainest happy loop, and ♭VI–♭VII–I (A♭, B♭, C in C) is often called triumphant.
What are happy chords on guitar?
The open major chords G, D, A, E and C, and their sixths and six-nines, such as G6 (320000) and C6/9 (x32233).
Sources
- Lahdelma and Eerola, “Single chords convey distinct emotional qualities to both naïve and expert listeners”, Psychology of Music 44(1), 2016
- Major chord (Wikipedia)
- Lydian mode (Wikipedia)
More chord stories: The forbidden chord, The saddest chord, The four chord song, The Picardy third, The most beautiful chord, The Mario cadence, and famous chords such as the Tristan chord and the Hendrix chord. Also: the guitar chord library, the chord finder and the chords in every key.