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In music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
 and music theory
Music theory

Music theory is the field of study that deals with how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It identifies patterns that govern composer techniques....
, a triad is a three-note chord
Chord (music)

In music and music theory a chord is a set of two or more different note that sound simultaneously. Most often, in European-influenced music, chords are tertian Sonority that can be constructed as stacks of thirds relative to some underlying musical scale....
 that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:



In the late Renaissance, western art music shifted from more "horizontal" contrapuntal approach toward chord-progressions requiring a more "vertical" approach, thus relying more heavily on the triad as the basic building block of functional harmony.

The root tone of a triad, together with the degree of the scale to which it corresponds, primarily determine a given triad's function.






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In music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
 and music theory
Music theory

Music theory is the field of study that deals with how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It identifies patterns that govern composer techniques....
, a triad is a three-note chord
Chord (music)

In music and music theory a chord is a set of two or more different note that sound simultaneously. Most often, in European-influenced music, chords are tertian Sonority that can be constructed as stacks of thirds relative to some underlying musical scale....
 that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:

  • the Root
  • the Third (whose interval
    Interval (music)

    In music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitch of two notes.Intervals may be described as:*vertical if the two notes sound simultaneously...
     is a major third
    Major third

    A major third is one of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span three diatonic scale degrees, the other being the minor third. It is denoted 'major' because it is the larger of the two: the major third is a leap of four semitones, the minor third three....
     or minor third
    Minor third

    A minor third is a Interval of three semitones. It is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the diatonic scale....
     above the root)
  • and the Fifth (whose interval is a major or minor third above the third, and a diminished, perfect
    Perfect fifth

    The perfect fifth is the musical interval between a note and the note seven semitones above it on the musical scale. For example, the note G lies a perfect fifth above C; D is a perfect fifth above G, C is a perfect fifth above F, and so on....
    , or augmented
    Augmented fifth

    An augmented fifth is a musical interval that spans five Musical scale degrees and consists of eight semitones. The prefix "augmented" identifies it as being one semitone larger than the perfect fifth....
     fifth above the root).


In the late Renaissance, western art music shifted from more "horizontal" contrapuntal approach toward chord-progressions requiring a more "vertical" approach, thus relying more heavily on the triad as the basic building block of functional harmony.

The root tone of a triad, together with the degree of the scale to which it corresponds, primarily determine a given triad's function. Secondarily, a triad's function is determined by its quality: major
Major chord

In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a Root , a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major Triad ....
, minor
Minor chord

In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a Root , a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor Triad ....
, diminished
Diminished chord

A diminished triad chord is a Triad consisting of a minor third and a diminished fifth above the Root ? if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an E and a G....
 or augmented
Augmented chord

In general, an augmented chord is any chord which contains an augmentation interval . An augmented sixth chord, for instance, has an augmented sixth between the highest and lowest notes....
. Three of these four kinds of triads are found in the the Major (or diatonic) scale.