Of the three chord members, the root of a triad is considered to be the strongest and most essential. In addition to thinking of a triad as consisting of a third and a fifth above a root, it is also helpful to think of it as two thirds stacked one on top of the other.ĭ b augmented (D b, F, A) 13.5 Figured bass and inversions In other words, a major triad has a minor third between the third and the fifth and a minor triad has a major third in the same place. Notice that in major and minor triads, the quality of this third is the opposite of the quality of the whole chord. In addition to the intervals formed with the root, there is another interval heard between the third and the fifth. In a major triad, the interval from the root to the third is a major third in a minor triad it is a minor third. The difference between major and minor triads lies in the quality of the interval from the root to the third. This is largely due to the fact that both chords feature a perfect fifth between the root and fifth. The three chord members have names that correspond with their position in the chord:īoth of the triads in Example 13–6 are consonant and stable. When written as closely as possible on a staff, the two upper notes of a triad must form a third and a fifth-or compound third and fifth-above the lowest note. For a chord to be a triad, the pitches contained therein must combine to create specific intervals. Not all three-note chords are triads, however. (Most people reserve these terms for sonorities with three or more pitches, though an interval may also be considered a type of chord.) A triad, as the name implies, is a type of chord made up of three unique pitch classes. 13.2 Structure and spellingĪ chord or harmony is a musical sonority consisting of two or more pitches. We also will describe a widely-used system for labeling triads in a key using Roman numerals and the various analytical applications in which these labels come in handy. In this chapter we will discuss the construction of triads and the different types one encounters. Harmonies such as these are known as triads and they appear in virtually every piece of tonal Western art music. With the exception of the final measure, all of the sonorities in Example 13–2 look and sound remarkably similar: three-note stacks of thirds differing only in their position on the staff.
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