POINT GREY SECONDARY SCHOOL
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
5350 East Boulevard
Vancouver, B.C. V6M 3V2
Telephone: (604) 713-8220 Fax: (604) 713-8218
www.pointgreymusic.com
TRIAD CHORDS
A group of three notes played together can be a triad chord. There are four types of triad chords that
you will have to know. Each one is constructed using major and minor thirds in different combinations.
The Major Triad:
The first interval – from C to E – is a major 3rd. The next interval – from E to G – is a minor 3rd. So a
major triad is a minor 3rd over a major 3rd.
These are
minor 3rds
a ii
ii
b
These are major 3rds
The Minor Triad:
The first interval – from C to Eb – is a minor 3rd. The next interval – from Eb to G – is a major 3rd. So
a minor triad is a major 3rd over a minor 3rd.
These are
major 3rds
a fiii
ii
fi
b
These are minor 3rds
POINT GREY MUSIC
Triad Chords Study Guide
The Diminished Triad:
The first interval – from C to Eb – is a minor 3rd. The next interval – from Eb to Gb – is a major 3rd. So
a diminished triad is a minor 3rd over a minor 3rd.
These are
minor 3rds
a ffiii
ffiii
b
These are minor 3rds
The Augmented Triad:
The first interval – from C to E – is a major 3rd. The next interval – from E to G# – is a major 3rd. So an
augmented triad is a major 3rd over a major 3rd.
These are
major 3rds
a dii
dii
b
These are major 3rds
2
POINT GREY MUSIC
Triad Chords Study Guide
Using the notes in a major scale, you can build a triad on each degree of the scale. ( Each note in a
scale is called a degree. ) For example, look at a C major scale:
ai
I
i
i
i
i
ii
iii
IV
V
i
i
vi
vii
i
I
We give each note in the scale a number from one to seven. We can then build a chord on each note
using notes from within the scale, like this:
a iii
iii
iii
ii
I
ii
iii
IV
iii
ii
iii
iii
V
vi
viio
I
If you analyze each chord, you will find that the chords written on the first, fourth and fifth degrees of
the scale are major triads. (The Roman numerals are written in upper case for major triads.) The chords
written on the second, third and sixth degrees of the scale are minor triads. (Their Roman numerals are
written in lower case to indicate that they are minor chords.) The chord written on the seventh degree
of the scale is a diminished triad. That’s why it is written in a lower case Roman numeral with a
superscript ‘o’. So you’re wondering about augmented triads. In major keys you won’t find ‘em.
p.s. On the test all Roman numerals will be will be in upper case so we don’t give away any answers.
The test will contain two types of questions: 1) identify the four chord types, and 2) identify the chord
and indicate which degree of the scale it occurs on in a given major key. Some examples:
1) What types of chords are these?
i
fi
a
____
ii
fi
b
____
diii
______
diii
______
fiii
_______
fiii
_______
dii
______
dii
______
dii
fiii
______
______
diii
______
3
fiii
______
ii
________
iii
________
fffiii
______
fffii
______
POINT GREY MUSIC
Triad Chords Study Guide
2) In the key of C major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
I
IV
V
ii
iii
vi
3) In the key of Bb major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
viio
I
vi
viio
vi
viio
vi
viio
vi
viio
IV
V
ii
iii
4) In the key of D major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
I
IV
V
ii
iii
5) In the key of E major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
I
IV
V
ii
iii
6) In the key of Db major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
I
IV
V
ii
iii
4
POINT GREY MUSIC
Triad Chords Study Guide
ANSWERS
ifi1) What typesii of chords arei these? dii
di
a
fii
Maj
ii
fi
b
dim
aug
fiii
maj
min
maj
fiii
diii
dii
dii
ii
min
iii
fiii
diii
2) In the key of C major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
a ii
ii
b
I
ii
ii
ii
ii
IV
V
ii
ii
ii
ii
ii
iii
fffiii
min
fffii
ii
ii
ii
ii
vi
viio
fiii
fiii
fii
fii
vi
viio
3) In the key of Bb major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
i
fi
a
i
fi
b
I
ffii
ffiii
IV
ii
ii
V
ii
ii
fiii
fiii
ii
iii
5
POINT GREY MUSIC
Triad Chords Study Guide
4) In the key of D major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
a dii
dii
b
I
ii
dii
ii
dii
IV
V
didi
didii
ii
ii
ii
iii
I
dii
dii
IV
didi
didii
V
ii
iii
a ffiii
ffiii
b
I
IV
ffiii
ffii
V
ii
iii
6
viio
vi
didii
didii
viio
ffii
ffii
fiii
fiii
fffii
ffii
dii
vi
6) In the key of Db major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
fffiii
fffiii
dii
didii
didi
didii
didi
didi
didii
dii
vi
5) In the key of E major, write the chords on the following scale degrees:
a dii
dii
b
dii
ffiii
ffiii
viio