Quick Win #37

Triads and their Mediants

Here's a quick summary of the main takeaways from this Quick Win!

  • two minor ones surround every major triad and vice versa
  • this relation results in an on-going formula that reads: 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 ... and so on
  • this formula explains chord complexity and leads to the extended root tones of a triad (see Lesson 9 "The Matrix of Triads" from the Composition Course)

Advice

Major and minor triads are reflections of one and another. That's a nice connection that we explore in Negative Harmony. As triads appear in all levels of harmony, they help us create chord complexity in the most controlled way.