Triads

TRIADS

A TRIAD is a three note chord, each note written a third away from the next note.  Triads are easy to write.  When written in root position the notes will appear either all on lines or all on spaces.

When we refer to the individual notes of a triad, it is usual to refer to them as “the root”, “the third” and “the fifth” because these are the intervals between the notes.

When we write a triad like this, it is described as being in:

• CLOSE (or closed) POSITION - because the notes are written as close as they can be, and
• ROOT POSITION - because the ROOT of the triad (the note we base it upon) is on the bottom.

Triads can be written in OPEN POSITION, by using the same letter names, but writing them further apart.

Triads can be written in AN INVERSION by putting one of the other two notes on the bottom:

• ROOT POSITION always has the root at the bottom, 
• FIRST INVERSION always has the third at the bottom, and
• SECOND INVERSION always has the fifth at the bottom.

What are the intervals between the notes of these inversions in closed position?

Between the:	Root Position	First Inversion	Second Inversion
top notes	3rd	4th	3rd
bottom notes	3rd	3rd	4th

ANALYSING TRIADS

When you are asked to analyse triads in music, the notes are rarely written in closed position.  To analyse any triad in a piece of music, your first task will be to rearrange the notes given - either on paper or in your head - to a closed position so that the triad and its inversions are easy to recognise.  Often there will be four parts.  This will mean that at least one note will be doubled (played or sung by two instruments or voices), and sometimes one note may be missing.

To analyse a piece of music, follow these steps:

• Work out the key of the piece, using the key signature, and last notes.
• Write ONE OCTAVE ASCENDING of this scale.
• ADD a THIRD and a FIFTH above each note to create its triad.
• Then label each triad using ROMAN NUMERALS (I, II, III, IV, etc)
• Work through the piece, one chord at a time, indicating the root note of each triad (using the roman numerals, above) and its position (using “a” for root position, “b” for first inversion, and “c” for second inversion).

NOTE: Many pieces include complications, such as seventh chords and passing notes, which we'll deal with in another session.

You wil find the worksheet for this topic here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9JdpU-tw7FuY0hEMzRBMTE4N2c/edit?usp=sharing