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-|
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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.
