Hearing Harmony

Training yourself to hear harmony requires active listening. Start by singing a note and holding it while someone plays different chords underneath. Notice how the same note feels stable over one chord and tense over another — that is harmony in action.

Power chords use only two notes and dominate rock because they sound strong without committing to major or minor. Seventh chords add a fourth note that creates jazzy sophistication. Suspended chords replace the third with a second or fourth, leaving the sound unresolved.

Modern pop increasingly uses four-chord loops that repeat throughout entire songs.