Triads are the building blocks of harmony in music, consisting of three notes stacked in thirds. The four primary types of triads are major, minor, diminished, and augmented, each with a distinct sound and emotional quality.
- Major Triad: Happy, bright; root + major third + perfect fifth
- Minor Triad: Sad, somber; root + minor third + perfect fifth
- Diminished Triad: Tense, unstable; root + minor third + diminished fifth
- Augmented Triad: Mysterious, unresolved; root + major third + augmented fifth
A major triad consists of the root, major third, and perfect fifth.
A minor triad is usually associated with a sad or somber mood.
A diminished triad has a root, minor third, and diminished fifth.
An augmented triad features an augmented fifth, giving it a unique sound.
Triads consist of three notes and can be major, minor, diminished, or augmented; they're found in all music genres.
Major Triad
Major triads are built from the root, major third, and perfect fifth.
A major triad consists of a root, a major third above the root, and a perfect fifth above the root. This structure creates a bright, stable sound often associated with happiness or resolution.
- Root: The fundamental note of the triad
- Major Third: Four semitones above the root; gives the triad its “major” quality
- Perfect Fifth: Seven semitones above the root; provides stability
Example: C Major Triad = C (root), E (major third), G (perfect fifth)
Major triads convey a happy, bright, and stable emotional quality.
Yes, in a major triad, the interval between the root and fifth is called a perfect fifth.
Minor Triad
A minor triad is made of root, minor third, and perfect fifth.
A minor triad is similar to a major triad but uses a minor third instead of a major third. This small change (from four semitones to three semitones above the root) gives the chord a darker, more somber emotion.
- Root: The fundamental note
- Minor Third: Three semitones above the root
- Perfect Fifth: Seven semitones above the root
Example: C Minor Triad = C (root), E♭ (minor third), G (perfect fifth)
Minor triads typically express sadness, melancholy, or seriousness.
In a minor triad, the interval between the root and third is a minor third.
Diminished Triad
A diminished triad has root, minor third, and diminished fifth.
A diminished triad uses a minor third and a diminished fifth (also called a tritone), creating a very tense and unstable sound.
- Root: The fundamental note
- Minor Third: Three semitones above root
- Diminished Fifth: Six semitones above root (a half step lower than a perfect fifth)
Example: C Diminished Triad = C (root), E♭ (minor third), G♭ (diminished fifth)
A diminished triad sounds tense and unstable.
The diminished fifth gives the diminished triad its unique sound.
Augmented Triad
An augmented triad features an augmented fifth instead of a perfect fifth.
An augmented triad raises the fifth by a half step from the major triad, creating an augmented fifth. This gives the chord a mysterious, unresolved feeling.
- Root: The fundamental note
- Major Third: Four semitones above root
- Augmented Fifth: Eight semitones above root
Example: C Augmented Triad = C (root), E (major third), G# (augmented fifth)
Augmented triads sound mysterious, unresolved, and somewhat tense.
An augmented triad has an augmented fifth between the root and fifth.
Conclusion
Triads are essential to understanding how music expresses emotion. By changing just one interval, you can shift a chord’s mood from happy to sad, stable to tense, or resolved to mysterious.
- Major triads = happy/bright (root, major third, perfect fifth)
- Minor triads = sad/serious (root, minor third, perfect fifth)
- Diminished triads = tense/unstable (root, minor third, diminished fifth)
- Augmented triads = mysterious/unresolved (root, major third, augmented fifth)