Triads & Inversions

Kaii had combined several piano/keyboard method books and her life long music learning books to create this sequential music theory study for this website. This page is about the understanding of Triads and Inversions. It is the beginning of creating harmony. By clicking on the other colored links at the bottom of this page, the other music theory topics can be found easily.

For more information, please contact Kaii directly: kaii@kafm.net

Major Triads | Minor Triads | Diminished Triads | Augmented Triads | Inversions | Roman Numerals

In music, the Triads are made with three-note chords. The most commonly used triads are built with the intervals of Thirds, both Major and Minor Thirds (See Intervals for Major and Minor Thirds). There are four types of triads: Major, Minor, Diminished, and Augmented Triads. The bottom note, with the lowest pitch, of the triad is the Root of the triad, and for which the triad is named after. Here are samples for each of the four types of triads:

The Four Types of Triads

Here is a comparison of all four types of triads previously used, but all in the same key of G Major, with accidentals:

A Comparison of the Four Types of Triads with G as the Root

A Major Triad can be found with a three-note chord built from a Major Scale, degrees one, three, and five. Based on that the first degree of any major scale is what the major scale named after; therefore, the Major Triad also takes the name after the first degree of the major scale. See the sample below for a G Major Triad. These three notes from the major triads can be performed together as a "Block Chord", or independently as a "Broken Chord."

The G Major Triad

A Minor Triad can be found with a three-note chord built from a Minor Scale, degrees one, three, and five. Based on that the first degree of any minor scale is what the minor scale named after; therefore, the Minor Triad also takes the name after the first degree of the minor scale. See the sample below for a F Natural Minor Triad. Same as the major triads, these three notes from the minor triads can be performed together as a "Block Chord", or independently as a "Broken Chord."

The F Minor Triad

A Diminished Triad can be found with a three-note chord built from any Major or Harmonic/Melodic Minor Scale, degrees seven, two, and four. Based on that the first degree of any scale is what the scale named after, that the Diminished Triad would take the name from the Seventh Degree of that scale. See the sample below for an F-Sharp Diminished Triad in the key of G Major. Same as the Major and Minor Triads, the three notes from any diminished triads can be performed together as a "Block Chord", or independently as a "Broken Chord."

The F-Sharp Diminished Triad

An Augmented Triad can be found with a three-note chord built from any Harmonic/Melodic Minor Scale, degrees three, five, and seven. Based on that the first degree of any scale is what the scale named after, that the Augmented Triad would take the name from the Third Degree of that minor scale. See the sample below for an A-Flat Augmented Triad. Same as the Major, Minor, and Diminished Triads, the three notes from any augmented triads can be performed together as a "Block Chord", or independently as a "Broken Chord."

The A-Flat Augmented Triad

All triads can be re-arranged with the Root of the three-note chord placed higher than the other notes/tones/degrees. See the example of F Major Triad in Root Position, First Inversion, and Second Inversion here. Use the "F" as the Root, the red-highlighted note, by moving it up an octave and keep the other two notes/tones/degrees as they are, and the third degree becomes the lowest note, that creates the First Inversion of the F Major Triad. By moving the third degree, "A", up for an octave and keep the other two notes/tones/degrees as they are, and the fifth degree becomes the lowest note, that creates the Second Inversion of the F Major Triad.

The Inversions of F Major Triad

Here is an example of the Inversions of D Minor Triad.

The Inversions of D Minor Triad

As the chords being re-arranged, a different set of symbols will represent each chord position correctly with numbers that reflect the correct intervals within the rearranged chords. In the sample above, the Root Position has an interval of a fifth between the top and bottom note, while an interval of a third is presented between the lower two notes, hence the mark of 5 and 3. In the First Inversion sample, there is an interval of a sixth between the top and bottom note, while an interval of a third is presented between the lower two notes, hence the mark of 6 and 3. Finally, In the Second Inversion sample, there is also an interval of a sixth between the top and bottom note, while an interval of a fourth is presented between the lower two notes, hence the mark of 6 and 4.

These markings are called the Figured Bass. Please refer to the Figured Bass & Basso Continue page on this website for more detailed discussion regarding the small numbers at the bottom of the chords.

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The next topic in this Music Theory site is all about the "Primary Chords." You may want to review the previous pages. Thank you for reading!

Music Theory that every musician could use and should know

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