EPISODE 12
BASIC TRIADS, IN THEORY
HOST- Jeremy Burns, Matthew Scott Phillips
GENRE- Theory
DURATION- 37:00
BUMPER MUSIC "Don't Diminish Me" (Area 47)
ANNOUNCER- Mike Cunliffe
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
4 BASIC TRIADS
THE MAJOR TRIAD
THE ROOT (C) + THE MAJOR 3rd (E) + THE PERFECT 5th (G)
THE MINOR TRIAD
THE ROOT (F) + THE MINOR 3rd (Ab) + THE PERFECT 5th (C)
THE DIMINISHED TRIAD
THE ROOT (D) + THE MINOR 3rd (F) + THE DIMINISHED 5th (Ab)
THE AUGMENTED TRIAD
THE ROOT (E) + THE MAJOR 3rd (G#) + THE AUGMENTED 5th (B#)
COMMON TRIADS BASED ON NOTES
CONVERTING TRIADS
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.
