Triads are basic three-note chords built of thirds. They can be in root position, first inversion, or second inversion.
Harmony in Western music is based on triads. Triads are simple three-note chords built of thirds.
1Triads in Root Position¶
The chords in the referenced item are written in root position, which is the most basic way to write a triad. In root position, the root, which is the note that names the chord, is the lowest note. The third of the chord is written a third higher than the root, and the fifth of the chord is written a fifth higher than the root (which is also a third higher than the third of the chord). So the simplest way to write a triad is as a stack of thirds, in root position.
Practice
Question
Write a triad in root position using each root given. If you need some staff paper for exercises you can print this PDF file.
Solution
2First and Second Inversions¶
Any other chord that has the same-named notes as a root position chord is considered to be essentially the same chord in a different position. In other words, all chords that have only D naturals, F sharps, and A naturals, are considered D major chords.
If the third of the chord is the lowest note, the chord is in first inversion. If the fifth of the chord is the lowest note, the chord is in second inversion. A chord in second inversion may also be called a six-four chord, because the intervals in it are a sixth and a fourth.
It does not matter how far the higher notes are from the lowest note, or how many of each note there are (at different octaves or on different instruments); all that matters is which note is lowest. (In fact, one of the notes may not even be written, only implied by the context of the chord in a piece of music. A practiced ear will tell you what the missing note is; we won't worry about that here.) To decide what position a chord is in, move the notes to make a stack of thirds and identify the root.
Example
Example
Practice
Question
Rewrite each chord in root position, and name the original position of the chord.
Solution
