Lesson 7 - Introducing Triads
Now that we have discussed some of the basic properties of chords, we are ready to talk about the most important type of chord -- the triad.Earlier, we alluded to the idea that when we discuss chords we like to reduce them to one representative of each pitch class as they would occur in one octave. If that chord reduces to three notes stacked in intervals of a third (major and/or minor), it is called a triad. Triads appear on the music staff as notes written on adjacent lines or adjacent spaces. They occur as every-other note of a scale.
There are four types of triads. Those types are based on the exact quality of the two intervals of a third found in the triad. There are two basic qualities of the interval of a third -- major and minor. In the triad, those interval qualities can occur in any combination. This gives us the four types of triads -- major(M), minor(m), augmented(+) and diminished(o).
Each triad has three notes, and each of those notes have a name. Those names are based on the scale location of each note of the triad when the triad is in its most basic form. The lowest note of the triad is called the root -- because it serves as the root note of the triad. The next note is called the third. It would be the third note of the scale beginning on the root note. The other note of the triad is called the fifth. It is the fifth note of the scale beginning on the root.
The triad actually has three intervals that determine its' quality. The lower interval, the interval between the lower two notes (root and third) of the triad in root position. The upper interval, the interval between the upper two notes (third and fifth) of the triad in root position. And the outer interval, the interval between the outer notes (root and fifth) of the triad in root position
We will discuss each of these triads over the next four lessons
©2004 Keith Prater