Listen to triads consciously

Four sonorities – four interval structures

A triad consists of two stacked thirds. Their order, together with the fifth, determines the chord quality. The following descriptions initially refer to root position.

Major

Major third + minor third · perfect fifth above the root.

Minor

Minor third + major third · perfect fifth above the root.

Diminished

Minor third + minor third · diminished fifth above the root.

Augmented

Major third + major third · augmented fifth above the root.

Do not listen only for “bright” or “dark”. The two thirds, the tension of the fifth, and the fusion of the complete sonority are decisive.