Triad (Music)

A triad is a musical chord that consists of three notes stacked on top of each other in generic thirds. From the lowest tone to the highest, a triad consists of a root, third, and fifth, the last two being intervals of the root.

There are four types of triads:

• A major triad consists of a root, major third, and perfect fifth.
• A minor triad consists of a root, minor third, and perfect fifth.
• A diminished triad consists of a root, minor third, and diminished fifth.
• An augmented triad consists of a root, major third, and augmented fifth.

Major and minor triads are found more often than the other two types in most forms of music. Diminished and augmented triads tend to give a feeling of tension or dissonance to the music.