Tonic triads
Three notes in 3rds
A triad is a chord of three notes, stacked one above another a 3rd apart. On the stave that looks like three lines in a row, or three spaces in a row.
The tonic triad is built on the tonic, the first note of the scale. It uses the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale, with the tonic at the bottom.
The four Grade 1 tonic triads
| Key | Tonic triad |
|---|---|
| C major | C E G |
| G major | G B D |
| D major | D F sharp A |
| F major | F A C |
Tip: when there is no key signature, check each note against the key: D major's tonic triad always needs F sharp.
Worked example: the missing note
Two notes of the tonic triad of G major are written: G and D. What is missing?
- The tonic is G (the bottom note).
- The 3rd above G is B (G, A, B).
- So the missing middle note is B, on the line between G and D in the treble clef.
Broken chords
The notes of a triad can also be played one after another instead of together: a broken chord. To find which triad it is, collect its notes and stack them in 3rds. The lowest note of the stack is the tonic, whichever note the music starts on.
This question is in Brainlag Plus