Major and minor triads

Major triads on C and F (M3 and P5 above root position note)

Major triad on Db

• A major triad is composed of a M3 and a P5 above the root position note (lowest note)

Minor triad on D

• A minor triad is a triad that consists of three notes-the root position note, a m3 and a P5 above.

E minor triad

• This is a minor triad on E. E is the root position note and there is a minor third above and a P5 above.

C minor triad

• C minor triad. These three notes fall in the C minor scale and also consist of a root position note, a minor third, and a perfect fifth above.

Major triad vs minor triad

Augmented triad on C

Major triad with an augmented fifth. (perfect fifth raised one half step)

G diminished triadDiminished triad is a minor triad with a diminished fifth (P5 lowered one half step)

Triad qualities as they appear in major keys

TritoneAugmented fourth or Diminished fifths are also called “tritones”. These sound like the first two notes from Maria from West Side Story

Tritone

Minor sixth on CMajor sixth and lower one half step. Start on C and go up to the sixth note in the scale and lower one half step.

Major sixths-1st to 6th note in a major scale

Major sevenths-note one to note 7 of a major scale

Minor 7th-lower the Major 7th by one half step