Triad (music)
Encyclopedia
In music
and music theory
, a triad is a three-note chord
that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:
Such chords are referred to as triadic.
Some twentieth-century theorists, notably Howard Hanson
and Carlton Gamer
, expand the term to refer to any combination of three different pitches, regardless of the intervals amongst them. The word used by other theorists for this more general concept is "trichord
.
In the late Renaissance, western art music shifted from more "horizontal" contrapuntal approach toward chord-progressions requiring a more "vertical" approach, thus relying more heavily on the triad as the basic building block of functional harmony.
The root tone of a triad, together with the degree of the scale to which it corresponds, primarily determine a given triad's function. Secondarily, a triad's function is determined by its quality: major
, minor
, diminished
or augmented. Three of these four kinds of triads are found in the Major (or diatonic) scale.
Triads (or any other tertian
chords) are built by stacking every other note of a Diatonic scale (e.g., standard major or minor scale). For example, C-E-G spells a triad by skipping over D and F. While the interval from each note to the one above it is a third, the quality of those thirds varies depending on the quality of the triad:
The above definitions spell out the interval of each note above the root. Since triads are constructed of stacked thirds, another way to define each triad is as follows:
Each triad found in a diatonic key corresponds to a particular diatonic function
. Functional harmony tends to rely heavily on the primary triad
s: triads built on the tonic
, subdominant
, and dominant
degrees. The roots of these triads begin on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees (respectively) of the diatonic scale, otherwise symbolized: I, IV, and V (respectively). Primary triads, "express function
clearly and unambiguously." The other triads of the diatonic key include the supertonic, mediant, sub-mediant, and sub-tonic, whose roots begin on the second, third, sixth, and seventh degrees (respectively) of the diatonic scale, otherwise symbolized: ii, iii, vi, and viio (respectively). They function as auxiliary or supportive triads to the primary triads.
Image:Major and minor triads.png|500px|thumb|center|Major and minor triads on the white piano keys. (file)
poly 35 442 35 544 179 493 root of A minor triad
poly 479 462 446 493 479 526 513 492 third of A minor triad
poly 841 472 782 493 840 514 821 494 fifth of A minor triad
poly 926 442 875 460 906 493 873 525 926 545 fifth of A minor triad
poly 417 442 417 544 468 525 437 493 469 459 root of C major triad
poly 502 472 522 493 502 514 560 493 root of C major triad
poly 863 462 830 493 863 525 895 493 third of C major triad
poly 1303 442 1160 493 1304 544 fifth of C major triad
poly 280 406 264 413 282 419 275 413 fifth of E minor triad
poly 308 397 293 403 301 412 294 423 309 428 fifth of E minor triad
poly 844 397 844 428 886 413 root of E minor triad
poly 1240 404 1230 412 1239 422 1250 412 third of E minor triad
poly 289 404 279 413 288 422 300 413 third of G major triad
poly 689 398 646 413 689 429 fifth of G major triad
poly 1221 397 1222 429 1237 423 1228 414 1237 403 root of G major triad
poly 1249 406 1254 413 1249 418 1265 413 root of G major triad
poly 89 567 73 573 90 579 86 573 fifth of D minor triad
poly 117 558 102 563 111 572 102 583 118 589 fifth of D minor triad
poly 650 558 650 589 693 573 root of D minor triad
poly 1050 563 1040 574 1050 582 1061 574 third of D minor triad
poly 98 565 88 573 98 583 110 574 third of F major triad
poly 498 558 455 573 498 589 fifth of F major triad
poly 1031 557 1031 589 1047 583 1038 574 1046 563 root of F major triad
poly 1075 573 1059 580 1064 573 1058 567 root of F major triad
desc none
Rock music
uses triads as its, "primary harmonic structures throughout the rock era." Examples of pieces which are based mostly on triads include Buddy Holly
's "That'll Be The Day
", The Beatles
' "Hey Jude
", Three Dog Night
's "Joy To The World
", and Bobby McFerrin
's "Don't Worry, Be Happy
", each from a successive decade beginning with the fifties.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
, a triad is a three-note chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:
- the RootRoot (chord)In music theory, the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which a triadic chord is built. For example, the root of the major triad C-E-G is C....
- the Third (whose intervalInterval (music)In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
is a major thirdMajor thirdIn classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the major third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. It is qualified as major because it is the largest of the two: the major third spans four semitones, the minor third three...
or minor thirdMinor thirdIn classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
above the root) - and the Fifth (whose interval is a major or minor third above the third, and a diminished, perfectPerfect fifthIn classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
, or augmentedAugmented fifthIn classical music from Western culture, an augmented fifth is an interval produced by widening a perfect fifth by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from C to G is a perfect fifth, seven semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to G, and from C to G are augmented fifths,...
fifth above the root).
Such chords are referred to as triadic.
Some twentieth-century theorists, notably Howard Hanson
Howard Hanson
Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
and Carlton Gamer
Carlton Gamer
Carlton Gamer is an American composer and music theorist. He has taught at Princeton University, the University of Michigan, and Colorado College...
, expand the term to refer to any combination of three different pitches, regardless of the intervals amongst them. The word used by other theorists for this more general concept is "trichord
Trichord
In music theory, a trichord is a group of three different pitch classes found within a larger group . For example a continguous three note set from a musical scale or twelve-tone row. The term is derived by analogy from the 20th-century use of the word "tetrachord"...
.
In the late Renaissance, western art music shifted from more "horizontal" contrapuntal approach toward chord-progressions requiring a more "vertical" approach, thus relying more heavily on the triad as the basic building block of functional harmony.
The root tone of a triad, together with the degree of the scale to which it corresponds, primarily determine a given triad's function. Secondarily, a triad's function is determined by its quality: major
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
, minor
Minor chord
In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor triad....
, diminished
Diminished chord
A diminished triad chord or diminished chord is a triad consisting of two minor thirds above the root — if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an E and a G. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered fifth....
or augmented. Three of these four kinds of triads are found in the Major (or diatonic) scale.
Triads (or any other tertian
Tertian
In music theory, tertian describes any piece, chord, counterpoint etc. constructed from the interval of a third...
chords) are built by stacking every other note of a Diatonic scale (e.g., standard major or minor scale). For example, C-E-G spells a triad by skipping over D and F. While the interval from each note to the one above it is a third, the quality of those thirds varies depending on the quality of the triad:
- Major triads contain a major third and perfect fifth interval, symbolized: R 3 5 (or 0-4-7 as semitones)
- minor triads contain a minor third, and perfect fifth, symbolized: R ♭3 5 (or 0-3-7)
- diminished triads contain a minor third, and diminished fifth, symbolized: R ♭3 ♭5 (or 0-3-6)
- augmented triads contain a major third, and augmented fifth, symbolized: R 3 ♯5 (or 0-4-8)
The above definitions spell out the interval of each note above the root. Since triads are constructed of stacked thirds, another way to define each triad is as follows:
- Major triads contain a major third with a minor third stacked above it. E.g., in the major triad C-E-G, the interval C-E is major third and E-G is a minor third.
- minor triads contain a minor third with a major third stacked above it. E.g., in the minor triad A-C-E (A minor), A-C is a minor third and C-E is a major third.
- diminished triads contain two minor thirds stacked, e.g., B-D-F (B dim)
- augmented triads contain two major thirds stacked, e.g., D-F#-A# (D aug).
Each triad found in a diatonic key corresponds to a particular diatonic function
Diatonic function
In tonal music theory, a diatonic function is the specific, recognized role of each of the 7 notes and their chords in relation to the diatonic key...
. Functional harmony tends to rely heavily on the primary triad
Primary triad
In music, a primary triad is a one of the three triads, or three note chord built from thirds, most important in tonal and diatonic music, as opposed to an auxiliary triad or secondary triad....
s: triads built on the tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
, subdominant
Subdominant
In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance "below" the tonic as the dominant is above the tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant. It is also the note immediately...
, and dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
degrees. The roots of these triads begin on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees (respectively) of the diatonic scale, otherwise symbolized: I, IV, and V (respectively). Primary triads, "express function
Diatonic function
In tonal music theory, a diatonic function is the specific, recognized role of each of the 7 notes and their chords in relation to the diatonic key...
clearly and unambiguously." The other triads of the diatonic key include the supertonic, mediant, sub-mediant, and sub-tonic, whose roots begin on the second, third, sixth, and seventh degrees (respectively) of the diatonic scale, otherwise symbolized: ii, iii, vi, and viio (respectively). They function as auxiliary or supportive triads to the primary triads.
Image:Major and minor triads.png|500px|thumb|center|Major and minor triads on the white piano keys. (file)
poly 35 442 35 544 179 493 root of A minor triad
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
poly 479 462 446 493 479 526 513 492 third of A minor triad
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
poly 841 472 782 493 840 514 821 494 fifth of A minor triad
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
poly 926 442 875 460 906 493 873 525 926 545 fifth of A minor triad
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
poly 417 442 417 544 468 525 437 493 469 459 root of C major triad
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
poly 502 472 522 493 502 514 560 493 root of C major triad
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
poly 863 462 830 493 863 525 895 493 third of C major triad
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
poly 1303 442 1160 493 1304 544 fifth of C major triad
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
poly 280 406 264 413 282 419 275 413 fifth of E minor triad
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
poly 308 397 293 403 301 412 294 423 309 428 fifth of E minor triad
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
poly 844 397 844 428 886 413 root of E minor triad
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
poly 1240 404 1230 412 1239 422 1250 412 third of E minor triad
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
poly 289 404 279 413 288 422 300 413 third of G major triad
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
poly 689 398 646 413 689 429 fifth of G major triad
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
poly 1221 397 1222 429 1237 423 1228 414 1237 403 root of G major triad
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
poly 1249 406 1254 413 1249 418 1265 413 root of G major triad
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
poly 89 567 73 573 90 579 86 573 fifth of D minor triad
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
poly 117 558 102 563 111 572 102 583 118 589 fifth of D minor triad
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
poly 650 558 650 589 693 573 root of D minor triad
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
poly 1050 563 1040 574 1050 582 1061 574 third of D minor triad
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
poly 98 565 88 573 98 583 110 574 third of F major triad
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
poly 498 558 455 573 498 589 fifth of F major triad
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
poly 1031 557 1031 589 1047 583 1038 574 1046 563 root of F major triad
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
poly 1075 573 1059 580 1064 573 1058 567 root of F major triad
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
desc none
Rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
uses triads as its, "primary harmonic structures throughout the rock era." Examples of pieces which are based mostly on triads include Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
's "That'll Be The Day
That'll Be the Day
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison and recorded by various artists including The Crickets and Linda Ronstadt. It was also the first song to be recorded by The Quarrymen, the skiffle group that subsequently became The Beatles...
", The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
", Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
's "Joy To The World
Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton song)
"Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening words, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"...
", and Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin
Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
's "Don't Worry, Be Happy
Don't Worry, Be Happy
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 2 during its fifth week on the chart...
", each from a successive decade beginning with the fifties.
External links
- fretjam Guitar Theory - Triads on Guitar