by Carl Hose

Created on: October 26, 2009

A triad is a simple three-note chord. These chords are built on the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale from which the chord name is derived. Triads are played often in all types of music, ranging from country to rock. Once you understand the basic theory behind building triads, you will be able to build any triad in any key.

The first thing you need to understand is key signatures. Major and minor key signatures are important to chord building. A basic music theory book will tell you all you need to know about the key signatures. You should take the time to commit them to memory because they will be the basis of any study you do regarding music theory.

Let's take the key of C as an example. There are no sharps or flats in the key of C. This means the notes in a C major scale are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Now let's build a C major chord using the first, third, and fifth degrees of the C major scale. The first note is C, which is the name of the chord you want to build. This is the first note of the C major scale. It is also the root, or tonic, note of the C scale and your C major chord. The third note of the C major scale is an E. The fifth note is a G. The notes you need to make a C major triad are the C, E, and G notes. It's as simple as that.

Let's try another example. Say you want a D major triad. There are two sharps in the key of D. They are F sharp and C sharp. The notes of a D major scale are D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C#. The first note of a D major scale is D. The third note is F#. The fifth note is A. These are the first, third, and fifth notes that make up a D major triad. This pattern works for every key signature, so once you know the key signatures, you can apply this pattern and find the major triads.

Now that you know how to build all your major triads, here's a quick way to learn all of your minor triads. A minor triad is nothing more than a major triad with the third degree of the scale flatted. In the C major example above, simply make the second note of your chord (which is the third note of the scale) a flat. This means the notes of a C minor are C, E flat, and G. Again, this pattern can be applied to every key. Once you have a handle on this information, you will be able to build all your major and minor triads anywhere on your instrument. The key is knowing your key signatures.

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