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triad

[English]

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).
 
See more about triads in the appendix. 

Example


Play Diminished Triad


Play Minor Triad


Play Major Triad




Play Augmented Triad


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Last Updated: 2016-05-10 18:50:16
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