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UNIT 2: CHORDS
A chord, in music, is any harmonic set of superposed notes sounding simultaneously.
The most frequently encountered chords are triads, so called because they
consist of three distinct notes: the root note, and intervals of a third and
a fifth above the root note. There are also the seventh chords that are rarely
found in music, those are made by adding another third above the fifth of the
triad.2.1. Triads
A triad is any three-tone chord. Blow is tried on musical staff and on the piano.
The triads built on the tonic, subdominant, and dominant are often referred to as
the primary triads because of their strong relationship to each other. The tonic
stands in the center of the tonal system, with the dominant a perfect fifth above
and the subdominant a perfect fifth below.
The roots of these triads begin on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees (respectively)
of the diatonic scale, otherwise symbolized: I, IV, and V (again, respectively).
Primary triads, «express function clearly and unambiguously. The other triads
of the diatonic key include the supertonic, mediant, sub-mediant, and leadingtone,
whose roots begin on the second, third, sixth, and seventh degrees
(respectively) of the diatonic scale, otherwise symbolized: ii, iii, vi, and viio (again,respectively). They function as auxiliary or supportive triads to the primary triads.
Apart from the primary triads, name the secondary triads
2.1.1. Types of triads
There are four types of triads in common use. They are identified by their quality
names: major, minor, diminished and augmented. They are named so basing on
the qualities of intervals that are between the three notes that make a triad. So,
it is based on the number of semi tones where a major third has four semi tones,
a minor has 3 semi tones, a perfect 5th has 7 semi tones and when a semi tone
is increased on them, it becomes augmented and when reduced by a semi tone
it becomes diminished.
a) Major triad
A major triad consists of a major third and a perfect fifth. M3 + P5 = Major TriadM3
b) Minor triad
A minor triad consists of a minor third and a perfect fifth. m3 + P5 = Minor Triad
c) Diminished triad
A diminished triad consists of a minor third and a diminished fifth. m3 + d5 =Diminished Triad.
d) Augmented triad
An augmented triad consists of a major third and an augmented fifth. M3 + A5= Augmented Triad.
The following are different triads with their names:
2.1.2. Triad name
You can construct a triad on any of the scale degrees. The triad has the same
function name as the individual pitch. Both the pitch C and the C major triad are
the Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, Subdominant, Dominant Submediant, LeadingTone and Tonic.
Practice1:
Practice2:
2.2. Triad position
A triad is found in root position or inverted. Triad position identifies the note of
the chord that appears as the lowest-sounding pitch of the harmony. Any of the
three notes of the triad can appear as the lowest-sounding pitch.
a) Root position
The term root refers to the note on which a triad is built. “C major triad” refers
to a major triad whose root is C. The root is the pitch from which a triad isgenerated.
No matter what the arrangement of the third and fifth factors, the triad is in root
position if the root of the triad is the lowest-sounding pitch.
b) Inversion of triadsAn inversion of a triad occurs when the root is not the lowest-sounding pitch.
i) First inversion:
No matter what the arrangement of the root and fifth factors, the triad is in first
inversion if the third factor is the lowest-sounding pitch. This means that in
the first inversion, the third note of the root is maintained as the lowest in the
inverted triad.Given the following triad:
This shows how the root “C note” and the fifth degree “G note” moved up but
the third degree “E note” remained.
ii) Second inversion:
No matter what the arrangement of the root and third factors, the triad is in
second inversion if the fifth factor is the lowest-sounding pitch.On this triad:
This shows how the root “C note” and the third degree “E note” moved up but
the fifth degree “G note” remained.
