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Music Theory

Triad Exercises

Identifying triads on the staff, and writing them.

A triad is the most basic chord: three notes stacked in thirds. The four types are major, minor, diminished and augmented. Each one looks different depending on the position it appears in.

Learning path: identify

①

Root position

The triad in its natural position: the root in the bass.
②

First inversion

The third of the chord moves to the bass.
③

Second inversion

The fifth of the chord moves to the bass.
🏆

Final challenge

All three positions mixed. The top level.

Build

①

Build: root position

Given the bass and the type, write the third and the fifth on the staff.
②

Build: first inversion

The third is in the bass. Write the fifth and the root on the staff.
③

Build: second inversion

The fifth is in the bass. Write the root and the third on the staff.
🏆

Build: final challenge

All three positions mixed. Triads in any inversion.

Chord worksheet generator

Besides the quizzes, you can create new worksheets for paper here. You choose the triad types, the positions, whether the student has to analyze or write the chord, the clef, the difficulty and how many chords, and a different sheet comes out every time, with its answer key, ready to print. The chords are drawn with the same rules as the PDF worksheets of each quiz, so they never run out: every student can take home a different sheet.

Each sheet has its own number. Under the buttons there is a link that brings back exactly the same sheet, which is handy for reprinting it or for giving the same one to the whole class.

If you practice these chords on an instrument, the online metronome helps you build speed gradually, starting slowly (50-60 BPM).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a triad in music?
A triad is the most basic chord: three notes stacked in thirds. The four types are the major triad (major 3rd + perfect 5th), the minor triad (minor 3rd + perfect 5th), the diminished triad (minor 3rd + diminished 5th) and the augmented triad (major 3rd + augmented 5th).
How many types of triad are there?
Four: major (bright and stable), minor (more intimate or sad), diminished (tense and unstable) and augmented (ambiguous, unresolved). In tonal harmony, every degree of the scale has one of these four types assigned to it.
What is the inversion of a chord?
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. Root position: the root is in the bass. First inversion: the third is in the bass. Second inversion: the fifth is in the bass. Inversions change the harmonic color without changing the notes of the chord.
What is the difference between a major and a minor chord?
They differ only in the third: the major chord has a major third (4 half steps) and the minor chord a minor third (3 half steps). Both share the perfect fifth (7 half steps). Example: C–E–G is C major; C–E♭–G is C minor.
How do you build a triad on the staff?
Write the root on any line or space. Add a third by counting two staff positions up (skipping the line or space in between). Then add another third the same way to get the fifth. The accidentals decide whether each third is major or minor.