Meaning of Triad in Music
A **triad** in music refers to a specific type of chord that consists of three notes. These three notes are typically stacked in consecutive thirds, meaning that each note is a third away from the previous one. Triads are considered the simplest form of a musical chord and serve as the building blocks for more complex harmonies and chord progressions.
Construction and Types of Triads
A triad consists of three specific notes from the diatonic scale. While any three notes can generally be considered a chord, a triad is made up of three specific notes from the diatonic scale. The three notes in a triad are:
1. **Root**: The lowest note of the triad when it is stacked in thirds. It serves as the foundation and gives the chord its name.2. **Third**: The middle note of the triad. It is a third away from the root note.3. **Fifth**: The highest note of the triad. It is a fifth away from the root note .
Triads can have different qualities based on the intervals formed above the root note. The four main qualities of triads are:
1. **Major Triad**: It consists of a major third and a perfect fifth above the root.2. **Minor Triad**: It consists of a minor third and a perfect fifth above the root.3. **Diminished Triad**: It consists of a minor third and a diminished fifth above the root.4. **Augmented Triad**: It consists of a major third and an augmented fifth above the root.
Major and minor triads are the most common, while diminished and augmented triads are less common in tonal music .
Historical Significance
The concept of the triad and its significance in Western music can be traced back to the late Renaissance and Baroque music eras. During this time, Western art music shifted from a more "horizontal" contrapuntal approach to a "vertical" approach that relied heavily on progressions, which are sequences of triads. The triad became the basic building block of functional harmony, and its primacy in Western music was first theorized by Gioseffo Zarlino in the 16th century ).
Conclusion
In summary, a triad in music refers to a chord consisting of three notes stacked in consecutive thirds. The root, third, and fifth notes form the basic structure of a triad, and different qualities of triads are determined by the intervals between these notes. Triads are fundamental to Western music and serve as the foundation for harmonies and chord progressions .
A chord made up of three notes based on the interval of a third. Triads can be major, minor, augmented, or diminished.
QUALITY ABBR. SYMBOL DESCRIPTION Major Maj M The major triad consists of the interval of a major third between the root and the third and the interval of a minor third between the third and the fifth. Minor min m The minor triad consists of the interval of a minor third between the root and the third and the interval of a major third between the third and the fifth. Augmented aug + The augmented triad consists of the interval of a major third between the root and the third and the interval of a major third between the third and the fifth. Diminished dim º Finally, the diminished triad consists of the interval of a minor third between the root and the third and the interval of a minor third between the third and the fifth. Triads are often notated with the pitch name of the root of the chord followed by the type of triad. In the figure below, the first triad is a C major chord (also notated as CM, or CMaj). The second triad is a C minor chord (also notated as Cm, or Cmin). The third triad is a C augmented chord (also notated as Caug, or C+). The last triad is a C diminished chord (also notated as Cdim or Cº).
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