A Major chord must consist of a minimum of three tones (a triad). However, in practice, certain notes within a chord are doubled. This has the effect of increasing the density of the sound. For example, a pianist may choose to space a C-Major chord in the following way:
- C-C in the left hand to form a bass octave
- G-C-E-G in the right hand.
Thus, the note C is represented three times, G twice, and E is heard only once.
The objective of this exercise is to enhance your ability to identify the number of notes contained in a chord. This will help you to distinguish each vocal or instrumental line, in order to understand the interaction of different layers.
In this exercise, you will hear a series of examples containing from one to five notes. Pay particular attention to the details in each sound and the sensation of density. The denser the sound feels to you, the more likely that multiple notes are being played simultaneously.
