A **triad** is a [[chords|chord]] consisting of three notes that are stacked in thirds. The lowest note of a triad is called the **root**, the middle note the **third**, and the highest note the **fifth**. In any given triad, there are a total of three intervals: (1) between the root and the third, (2) between the third and the fifth, and (3) between the root and the fifth. **Example 1.** Triad construction. ![[example triads construction.png]] ## Types of Triads There are four types (or qualities) of triads: major, minor, diminished, and augmented. These are determined by the quality and arrangement of the intervals they contain. The root and quality of a triad can be identified using [[chord symbols]]. - [[major triad]] - [[minor triad]] - [[diminished triad]] - [[augmented triad]]