Unit 5, Lesson 1 of 1
Brainlag Plus

Chords I, IV and V

Music theory, Triads and chords, 15 minutes

Triads built on the tonic, subdominant and dominant, named with Roman numerals, in major and minor keys.

Triads on three degrees

You know the tonic triad: degrees 1, 3 and 5. Grade 4 builds triads on two more degrees too, always in root position (the root at the bottom):

  • I, on the tonic (1st degree);
  • IV, on the subdominant (4th degree);
  • V, on the dominant (5th degree).

These are the primary chords. Chords are named with Roman numerals after the degree of their root.

G major: I, IV and V are all major triads

The rest of this lesson and its 6 practice questions are in Plus.

Screen 1 of 4, free to read.

  • 6 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
  • Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards