Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Easy Music Theory

Minor Triads

Minor triads have a dark, sad sound quality.

A minor triad consists of a note a minor 3rd above the root and another

note a Perfect 5th above the root.

In a Major key, there are three naturally occurring minor triads, those

built upon the second, third, and sixth degrees of the Major scale, or the

ii, iii, and vi chords.

Example 28.4 Breakdown of the minor triads in the key of C.

Diminished Triads

Diminished triads are less common than the Major or minor triads and

have a suspenseful sound quality. This is the chord you hear when the

damsel in distress is tied to the railroad tracks by Dastardly Dan as an

approaching train hoots in the near distance.

A diminished triad consists of a note a minor 3rd above the root and

another note a diminished 5th above the root.

In a Major key, there is only one naturally occurring diminished triad, the

one built on the seventh degree of the Major scale.

Don’t forget to put the little circle next to the lowercase Roman numeral.

We’ll get into more chord symbols in the next chapter.

Example 28.5 Breakdown of the diminished triad on the 7th degree of the Major scale.

min3

M3 P5

min3

M3 P5 min3

M3 P5

ii iii vi

Dmin Emin Amin

min3

min3 dim5

vii

B