Identify Triads in Root Position: Staff Quiz

A triad is made of three notes stacked in thirds: the root, the third and the fifth. The quality of those thirds gives four different types of chord. In root position the root is the lowest note, so the chord looks like three notes on neighboring lines or neighboring spaces.

1. The four types of triad

Type	Third	Fifth	Example
Major	Major 3rd (4 half steps)	Perfect 5th (7)	C – E – G
Minor	minor 3rd (3 half steps)	Perfect 5th (7)	D – F – A
Diminished	minor 3rd (3 half steps)	Diminished 5th (6)	B – D – F
Augmented	Major 3rd (4 half steps)	Augmented 5th (8)	C – E – G♯

The names of the types are also written as "perfect major" and "perfect minor" in some textbooks, and the diminished and augmented triads are named after their fifth.

2. How to analyze a triad

Quick method:

Find the lowest note (the root).
Count the half steps (UK: semitones) up to the middle note, the third: 4 = major, 3 = minor.
Count the half steps up to the top note, the fifth: 7 = perfect, 6 = diminished, 8 = augmented.
Combine: major third + perfect fifth = major; minor third + perfect fifth = minor; minor third + diminished fifth = diminished; major third + augmented fifth = augmented.

3. Interactive exercise

A three-note chord appears on the staff. Your task is to identify its type by choosing one of the four options.

Next: identify triads in first inversion, or practice the opposite skill and build triads in root position.

If you practice these chords on an instrument, the online metronome helps you build speed gradually: start slowly (50-60 BPM) and speed up a little at a time. The online tuner lets you check that every note of the chord is in tune.

For the full theory of each triad, see the page on triads, with the diminished chord and the augmented chord.

Printable worksheet (PDF)

The same exercise on paper, for class: 21 triads in root position on one side of A4, and under each one you write its type. With a separate answer sheet.

It goes from easier to harder: first chords with natural notes in treble clef, then with sharps and flats and the bass clef coming in gradually, and finally a few with a double accidental.

Printable PDF worksheet with 21 triads in root position to analyze — A4 sheet with 21 triads in root position to analyze.

Download the worksheet (PDF, A4) Answers

You may print and photocopy it freely for the classroom. To practice in the other direction, see the worksheet to write triads in root position.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the root position of a chord?

Root position means that the lowest note of the chord (the bass) is the root, the note that gives the chord its name. In a C major chord in root position, C is in the bass and the upper notes are E and G.

How do you recognize a root-position triad on the staff?

The bass is the root, and the three notes form a stack of thirds with no inversion: root, third, fifth from the bottom up. On the staff the notes sit on three adjacent lines or three adjacent spaces. The interval between the bass and the middle note is always a third (major or minor, depending on the type).

What are the four types of triad?

1) Major: major third + perfect fifth (C–E–G). 2) Minor: minor third + perfect fifth (A–C–E). 3) Diminished: minor third + diminished fifth (B–D–F). 4) Augmented: major third + augmented fifth (C–E–G♯). Each type has its own characteristic sound.

Why do we study root position first?

It is the most basic and recognizable form of a chord. It lets you learn how each type of triad looks before you meet the inversions, which rearrange the notes but keep the same chord. Root position is the reference from which every other position is analyzed.

How can I tell a major triad from a minor triad in root position?

Look at the interval between the bass (the root) and the middle note (the third). A major third has 4 half steps, and the chord is major. A minor third has 3 half steps, and the chord is minor. The fifth (the top note) is perfect in both cases.