akkorder

Akkorder are a fundamental element of Western harmony, consisting of notes sounded together to create a stable harmonic unit that supports melody and rhythm. Most commonly they are triads, built from three notes: the root, a third above, and a fifth above. Triads are typically formed from the scale degrees of a key, producing major, minor, diminished, or, less commonly, augmented sonorities.

Chords can be inverted by changing which note is in the bass: root position, first inversion (the third in the bass), and second inversion (the fifth in the bass). To increase color and complexity, musicians add extensions beyond the triad, resulting in seventh chords (such as major seventh, dominant seventh, minor seventh) and even higher extensions like ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths. Examples include Cmaj7, Dm7, G9, or F13.

Notation and analysis vary by tradition. In classical theory, chords are often described with roman numerals indicating function within a key (I, ii, V, etc.). In popular and jazz music, chord symbols are used directly (C, Am, G7, Dm9), and slash chords indicate alternate bass notes (for example, C/G).

Harmonic function places chords into roles such as tonic, predominant, and dominant, shaping cadence and resolution. Common progressions include I–IV–V–I, ii–V–I, and variations that substitute chords or add tensions to create different moods or textures.

Akkorder emerged as the basic building blocks of harmony in Western music, with their use expanding from triads to extended chords across genres and historical periods.