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HOME ABOUT US EPISODES CONTACT US DONATE EpISODE 12 Basic Triads, IN THEORY

HOSTS- Jeremy Burns, Matthew Scott Phillips

 

TYPE- Theory

 

DURATION- 37:00

 

BUMPER MUSIC- "Don't Diminish Me" (Area 47 Music)

 

ANNOUNCER- Mike Cunliffe

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DESCRIPTION

Triads are the building blocks of harmony. In this episode, we will introduce you to the 4 basic triads: major, minor, augmented and diminished. We will discuss the theory behind them, the moods they evoke and the

functions they serve.

KEY WORDS

INTERVAL- The distance between two notes, harmonically or melodically. An interval consists of two components: 1) NUMBER and 2) QUALITY.

 

TRIAD- A group of three notes: the root note, the note a 3rd above it and the note a 5th above it. This can also be viewed as a combination of two intervals, each that of a 3rd.

 

TERTIAN HARMONY- A harmony made of stacked 3rds

 

MAJOR TRIAD- ROOT + MAJOR 3rd + MINOR 3rd

 

MINOR TRIAD- ROOT + MINOR 3rd + MAJOR 3rd

 

DIMINISHED TRIAD- ROOT + MINOR 3rd+

MINOR 3rd

 

AUGMENTED TRIAD- ROOT + MAJOR 3rd +

MAJOR 3rd

EXAMPLES

MAJOR TRIAD

The ROOT (C), it's MAJOR 3rd (E), and its

PERFECT 5th (G)

MINOR TRIAD The ROOT (F), it's MINOR 3rd (Ab), and its PERFECT 5th (C)
DIMINISHED TRIAD The ROOT (D), it's MINOR 3rd (F), and its DIMINISHED 5th (Ab)

AUGMENTED TRIAD

The ROOT (E), it's MAJOR 3rd (G#), and its

AUGMENTED 5th (B#)

COMMON TRIADS BASED ON THE NOTES

If you RAISE the 3rd of a MINOR TRIAD, it will become a MAJOR TRIAD.

Below, we see the D MINOR in the 1st measure become a D MAJOR in the following measure, because we sharpened the 3rd.

If you LOWER the 3rd of a MAJOR TRIAD, it will become a MINOR TRIAD.

Below, we see the G MAJOR in the 1st measure become a G MAJOR in the following measure, because we lowered the 3rd.

If you RAISE the 5th of a MAJOR TRIAD, it will become an AUGMENTED TRIAD.

Below, we see the F MAJOR in the 1st measure become an F AUGMENTED in the following measure, because we sharpened the 5th.

DIATONIC TRIADS

These triads are all made of the notes within the given scale and are based on the scale degrees. The capital Roman numerals represent MAJOR triads and the lower case Roman numerals represent MINOR triads.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

-The only difference between MAJOR and MINOR is the 3rd. In both triads, the 5ths are PERFECT.

 

-Diminished chords have a feeling of tension while augmented chords have more of a "floaty" or disorienting feel.

MUSIC STUDENT 101

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