Lesson - 58 : Quick Formation of Triads!

Earlier we have seen the Triads formed on various notes of a typical Major scale and a Harmonic Minor scale.

Basically the type of triads that are formed are four , viz. Minor, Major, Diminished and Augmented.

These four basic chords can be formed on any 12 keys of an Octave.

One quick way to form them is start with a key and consider the Major scale notes of Tonic, Mediant and Dominant (which are usually Key no 1, 5 and 8 respectively, in our scheme of numbering 1 to 13 of the keys of octave, including the black and white keys).

So start with 1+5+8, we can get a Major Chord.

You reduce the 3rd of a Major Chord by a semitone ( so to say, you are using notes 1+4+8 ) you get the Minor Chord.

If you increase the 5th of a Major chord by a semitone, (meaning you are using notes 1+5+9) you get the Augmented Chord.

Similalry, if you decrease the 5th of a Minor chord by a semitone (meaning you are using notes 1+4+7) , you get the Diminished chord.


To summarise the above :




In this fashion you can develop Any Chord on Any key in a key board.

So you can form 12 x 4 = 48 basic chords in a key board, which are the fundamental chords/triads.

[Considering the same black note is represented by Sharp or Flat, some of these chords are represented by more than one way also (like D# Major or E-flat Major etc..), but basically the sound and characteristics of such chords remain same in both cases]

What else…! You are now master of Chords ! (atleast theoretically you can claim that now…..! )