Chapter Three
Introduction to Triads and Seventh Chords
Triads
Tertian: built of 3rds chords
Triad: fundamental tertian,
Three-note chord
Consisting of a 5th divided into two superimposed 3rds
4 possible ways
Augmented: +5(M3+M3),
Major: P5(M3+m3),
Minor: P5(m3+M3)
Diminished: °5(m3+m3)
Root, third, fifth
Seventh Chords
Four-note chord
Extend a tertian triad by adding another 3rd on top of the 5th of the triad
Interval between the root and the added note is some kind of 7th (major, minor, diminished)
Major seventh (M7) : major triad + major 7th
Major-minor seventh (Mn7) : major triad + minor 7th
Minor seventh (mm7) : minor triad + minor 7th
Half-diminished 7th (ᶲ7): diminished triad + minor 7th
Diminished seventh (°7): diminished triad + diminished 7th
Inversion Chords
Triad
Root position
Any part of a chord might appear as the lowest tone
Root position, first inversion ( or just 6), second inversion ( )
Seventh Chord
Root position
Root position (7), first inversion ( ) , second inversion ( ), third inversion ( )
Inversion Symbols and Figure Bass
Analyzing music using numbers derived from the Baroque (1600-1750) system called figured bass or thoroughbass
Keyboard player in an ensemble read from a part consisting only of a bass line and some symbols indicating the chord to be played above each bass note
The symbols consisted basically of numbers representing intervals above the bass
Notes could actually be played in any octave above the bass
Baroque keyboardist reading the figured bass followed the key signature
Root position triad might be major, minor or diminished
Accidental next to an arabic numeral in the figured bass could be used to raise or lower a note (e.g. 7b, #)
Horizontal line mean to keep the same note of chord (e.g. means to use the same bass note for a root position triad followed by one in first inversion)
Bass-position symbols (e.g. I or V )
Lead-Sheet Symbols
Sometimes called pop symbols
Developed for use in jazz and 20th and 21st centuries popular music
Facilitated the notation process and served to provide sufficient information to allow the performer to improvise within certain bounds
Lead-sheet symbols appear along with a melody
Indicate the chords that are to be constructed below
C6 means a C triad with an added M6 above the root
Slash chord notation: C/G mean C major triad over a Gin the bass (second inversion)
Frequently differ from one edition to the next
F#m7(b 5)/C means F# minor seventh chord over a C in the bass line with a lower fifth of the chord (C#-C♮)
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