Triads
A triad is a three-voice chord with a root, the 3rd and the 5h (from the root). A triad is the basis of all chords. although in many chords the fifth is not played.
Doubling: On the guitar. thriads often occur with more than three notes. Often one or more of the notes in the triad is doubled. In a doubled triad, the root, the third, or the fifth is doubled.
A triad is built on superposed thirds. Each note in a triad is separated by an interval of a major or minor third. In a minor triad a major 3rd is built on top of a minor 3rd. A major triad alsp consist in a major and a minor triad, but in reverse order.
B Augmented B Major B Minor B Diminished B-D#-G B-D#-F# B-D-F# B-D-F ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 5• | | | | | |• | | | | 3 |• | | | | 3 |• 4 | | | R 3 | 4 | | | R 3 | 4 | | | R | | 4 | | | R | | | | | | | |• | | | | | |• | | | | | |• | | | | | |• | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | |• | | | | 5 |• | | | 3 5 |• | | | 3 | |• | | | 3 5 | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | R | | |• 9 | | R | | |• 9 | | R | | |• 9 | | R | | |• | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | |• | | | | | |• | | 3 | | |• | | 3 | | |• | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | R | | | | 14 | R | | | | 14 | R | | | | 14 | R | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | |• | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | |• | | | | | |• | 3 | | | |• | 3 | | | |• | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 R | | | | |• 19 R | | | | |• 19 R | | | | |• 19 R | | | | |• | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
The intervals of a triad counted from the root
Counted from the root of a triad chord, the intervals consist in a third and a fifth.
Forms of triads | Intervals from the root | Interval # | Example | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Major triad | major third | perfect fifth | 1-3-5 | C-E-G |
Minor triad | minor third | perfect fifth | 1-b3-5 | C-Eb-G |
Diminished triad | minor third | diminished fifth | 1-b3-b5 | C-Eb-Gb |
Augmented triad | major third | augmented fifth | 1-3-#5 | C-E-G# |
C Major Triads
Intervals: 1 = C, 3 = E, 5 = G 3 ||---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-| X ||-1-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---| 5 ||---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-| X ||---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---| X ||---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---| 3 ||---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-| o o o o o
C Minor Triads
Intervals: 1 = C, b3 = Eb, 5 = G X ||---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---| X ||-1-|---|---|b3-|---|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---| 5 ||---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---|---|---|-5-| X ||b3-|---|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---| X ||---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---|---|---|-5-|---|---| X ||---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---| o o o o o
C Dim Triads
Intervals: 1 = C, b3 = Eb, b5 = Gb X ||---|b5-|---|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---| X ||-1-|---|---|b3-|---|---|b5-|---|---|---|---|---| X ||---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---|---|---|---| X ||b3-|---|---|b5-|---|---|---|---|---|-1-|b5-|---| X ||---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---|---|b5-|---|---|---| X ||---|b5-|---|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|b3-|---| o o o o o
C Aug Triads
Intervals: 1 = C, 3 = E, #5 = G# 3 ||---|---|---|#5-|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-| X ||-1-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---|#5-|---|---|---| X ||#5-|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---| X ||---|-3-|---|---|---|#5-|---|---|---|-1-|---|---| X ||---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---|#5-|---| 3 ||---|---|---|#5-|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|-3-| o o o o o
Lesson: Triad Exercise
Practice playing these tiads and their inversions up and down while listening. Notice that the augmented. chords are.