Lesson 4 — Triads (Fifth Chords)

🎬 Triads (Fifth Chords)

Fifth chords

A fifth chord, or triad, is built by stacking two thirds: root, third and fifth. When we use each degree of a scale as a root, only four kinds of chords appear: major, minor, diminished and augmented.

In the video we build and listen to the chords of C major natural and harmonic, and of C minor natural, harmonic and melodic, and see how each accidental changes the chord type on each degree.

Your assignment

Build the chords on every degree of all the basic scales and submit them in a single MIDI file:

Tonics: C, C♯, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A♭, A, B♭ and B.
For each tonic: natural major, harmonic major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor ascending and descending.
Each series goes I–II–III–IV–V–VI–VII–I′ (descending melodic minor goes from I′ down to I; you may omit its opening tonic).
Three-note simultaneous triads, in root position and close position, without inversions.

The series can come in any order: the Virtual Teacher recognizes them, tells you which are missing and explains any errors. In Storm Sequencer use a single staff and hold Ctrl while you click to add the third and the fifth.

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Virtual Teacher — Upload exercise

The complete assignment in one MIDI

C · C♯ · D · E♭ · E · F · F♯ · G · A♭ · A · B♭ · B

For each tonic include: natural major, harmonic major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and ascending and descending melodic minor. The Teacher recognizes the series in any order, names missing ones and explains errors.

Keep the degree sequence within each series: I–VII–I′; descending melodic minor: I′–VII–I (the initial descending tonic may be omitted). Three simultaneous notes per chord in close root position, without doubling or inversions.

Storm Sequencer: use a single staff. Write the first chord note, then hold Ctrl while clicking to add the third and fifth at the same position. Export the entire assignment in one MIDI.