Triad chords

At the beginning of the orchestral prelude to his opera "Rheingold , Richard Wagner brilliantly shaped the myth of creation in music, which describes nature in its primordial state, at the absolute beginning of all things. For many bars there is no modulation, no chordal variation. Then a chord in E flat minor appears first the tonic can be heard in unfathomable depths, followed by the addition of a fifth, which finally becomes a triad. The nature motive develops as the leitmotif of all creation (Donington, 1976). 

There are twelve keys on a piano keyboard from A to G, and this represents twelve half steps, or intervals. The distance between two notes can be described in terms of steps. The distance between E and F is one half step (one semitone), while the distance between D and E is one full step (one tone or two semitones). Chords can simply be described in terms of intervals, or the distance between the various notes that make up the chord. For example, a chord called a C major triad could be described as a C root note, a second note four semitones higher, and another note seven semitones above the root. Expressed numerically, a major triad might be described as a 0-4-7 chord. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. 

A major triad is a simple chord created from a perfect fifth interval and a major third interval. It has a happy sound and may be abbreviated as C major, Cmaj, or even just C (see Figure 3.16). 

A minor triad is a major chord with the second note raised a half step (sharpened). This means that the second note is three semitones higher than the root, also known as a minor third. This chord sounds sad or depressing and a C minor third is abbreviated C minor, Cmin, or, most simply, Cm (see Figure 3.17). 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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