Today, we're going to dive into the wonderful world of chords and discover how they relate to each other like members of a family. We call this a "family of chords" or sometimes a "key." Just like your family, chords in the same family share some common traits and work really well together. We're going to focus on the C Major family today.

Think of C Major as the head of the family. It's the most important chord in this key, and all the other chords revolve around it. It's built using the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the C Major scale: C, E, and G. Easy peasy, right?

Now, within the C Major family, we have some other important members. These are the other chords that sound great when played with C Major. We can figure these out using Roman numerals, which are just fancy ways of writing numbers using Roman letters. We use them to show the position of a chord in the scale.

• I (One): This is our C Major chord, the head of the family! It's built on the 1st degree of the C Major scale.
• IV (Four): This is the F Major chord. It's built on the 4th degree of the C Major scale (F, A, C). It has a bright, happy sound and often follows the I chord nicely.
• V (Five): This is the G Major chord. It's built on the 5th degree of the C Major scale (G, B, D). It has a strong, powerful sound and often leads back to the I chord, creating a sense of resolution.

These three chords – I, IV, and V – are the most important chords in the C Major family. They are used in countless songs! You can think of them as the core members of the family.

But wait, there's more! We have some other relatives in the C Major family, too. They might not be used as often as the I, IV, and V, but they still play an important role.

• ii (Two): This is the D minor chord (D, F, A). Notice it's minor, not major. Minor chords have a different feeling, often described as sadder or more thoughtful.
• iii (Three): This is the E minor chord (E, G, B). Another minor chord!
• vi (Six): This is the A minor chord (A, C, E). Also a minor chord.
• vii° (Seven diminished): This is the B diminished chord (B, D, F). It has a unique sound and is used less frequently than the others. The little circle (°) means diminished.   

So, to recap, the C Major family of chords includes:

• C Major (I)
• F Major (IV)
• G Major (V)
• D minor (ii)
• E minor (iii)
• A minor (vi)
• B diminished (vii°)

These chords all share notes from the C Major scale, which is why they sound so good together. Experiment with playing them in different orders. You’ll start to hear how they relate to each other and how they create different moods and feelings in music. Knowing these chords is a huge step in understanding how music works! Any questions?