Tonic triads, major and minor
Recap: the tonic triad
A triad is three notes stacked in 3rds. The tonic triad uses the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale, with the tonic at the bottom: three lines in a row, or three spaces in a row.
Major and minor
The middle note decides whether a tonic triad sounds major or minor:
- in a major key it is 4 semitones above the tonic (a major 3rd);
- in a minor key it is 3 semitones above (a minor 3rd).
| Key | Tonic triad | Key | Tonic triad |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C E G | A minor | A C E |
| G major | G B D | E minor | E G B |
| D major | D F sharp A | D minor | D F A |
| F major | F A C | A major | A C sharp E |
| B flat major | B flat D F | E flat major | E flat G B flat |
Tip: the raised 7th of a minor key is never part of its tonic triad, so the tonic triad of a minor key uses only the key signature's notes.
This question is in Brainlag Plus