Chords &

Triads
7 & 8 MUSIC
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES & SUCCESS CRITERIA
Develop compositional skills and knowledge of triad chords

• Construct chords using appropriate intervals and accidentals

• Manipulate chord tones to compose melodies

Warm-up questions
Write out the scales for A Major and F Major

Identify these key signatures

 What is a chord?
There are many types of chords but the most basic Add to
chord is called a triad chord. your
glossary!
A triad chord is made of three notes (thus the ‘tri’ in
triad) of a scale. When we are writing a major
chord, we take our notes from the major scale.
Same thing for minor or diminished chords.

A chord’s name tells us what scale the chord is based

on. For example, an A major chord is based on
notes from the A major scale.

A triad chord is made of notes 1 – 3 – 5 of the scale.

 Notes 1 – 3 - 5 Sometimes we
Sometimes
write in
write in the
the
we

sharps and
sharps and
There are seven notes in a major scale and we flats but
flats but if
have a
have
if we
a key
key
we

number then 1-7 from bottom note to top note. signature then
signature then
we don’t
we don’t always
always
need to!
need to!
To make our triad chord we simply write and play
the first, third and fifth notes together. They will
then look something like this…
 Making our own Triads
1. Write out the scale (let’s do A major)

2. Identify the intervals 1 – 3 – 5

3. Write them together as a cluster

4. Draw them into the correct positions on your

stave paper (you can choose whether to draw the
key signature or use accidentals)
Do the same for D major, G major and F major

1. Write out the scale

2. Identify the intervals 1 – 3 – 5
3. Write them together as a cluster
4. Draw them into the correct positions on your stave paper
 Minor scale

A minor scale begins on the note of the key in which it is based the
same as a major scale however it has some different notes.

It follows a different pattern of tones and semitones.

T – S – T – T – S – T1/2 – S
Tone – semitone – tone – tone – semitone – tone and a half - semitone

A tone and a half is just three semitones

Use the pattern to build the scale for A Minor
T – S – T – T – S – T1/2 – S
Now try making the scales for E Minor and B minor
T – S – T – T – S – T1/2 – S
 Making Minor Triads
Exactly the same process as our major triads! We just need to base
our notes on the minor scale not the major scale.

1. Write out the scale (let’s do A minor)

2. Identify the intervals 1 – 3 – 5

3. Write them together as a cluster

4. Draw them into the correct positions on your stave paper (for
minor chords stick to using accidentals as key signatures will
be different to what you expect)
Write the minor triad chords for E minor and B minor.

1. Write out the scale

2. Identify the intervals 1 – 3 – 5
3. Write them together as a cluster
4. Draw them into the correct positions on your stave paper
(use accidentals not a key signature!)
Melody
Writing
 The melodies that sound nicest to our ears are the once which work with the
notes of the chord which they are based on.

So if we were writing a melody in G Major, the notes that would sound the nicest to
use would be found within the G Major scale and particular from within the G
Major chord!

If we put those notes on the main beats of our bar then the whole bar will sound
like that chord.

For example…
Compose a one bar / four note melody for each of the
following chords and write it on your stave paper

G major D major

A minor E minor
Only using those notes and staying on the beat can be a little boring though. So
we can change the rhythm…

Or we can add non-chordal notes in less important spots (the off beats). We call
these passing tones because we pass by them on the way to our main
notes/beats.
When writing your own melodies it can often be easier
to write a rhythm first and then add notes to the
rhythm – that way you can see where your strong
beats are (and where your chordal notes should go)
and where your weak beats are (where your passing
tones can go)

You are each going to be assigned a bar to write a

melody for – the rhythm has already been done for
you.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES & SUCCESS CRITERIA
Develop compositional skills and knowledge of triad chords

• Construct chords using appropriate intervals and accidentals

• Manipulate chord tones to compose melodies

 You’re finished!
That’s it for this lesson!