← Dictionary

triad

The basic three-note chord: a root, a third, and a fifth, stacked.

The basic three-note chord: a root, a third, and a fifth stacked in thirds. The third decides the mood (major bright, minor dark) and the fifth is the sturdy frame. Almost every chord you hear is a triad or a triad wearing extra notes.

Learn it: Triads

The one-sentence definition at the top is the same one the Theory Aide extension shows as a tooltip inside Ableton Live. Hover any dotted term for its own.