Intervals, triads and chords

Question 1

What are intervals built above the tonic of a major scale?

Answer 1

Major or perfect

Question 2

Name the interval: 1st note and 1st note

Answer 2

Perfect unison

Question 3

Name the interval: 1st note and 2nd note

Answer 3

Major 2nd

Question 4

Name the interval: 1st note and 3rd note

Answer 4

Major 3rd

Question 5

Name the interval: 1st note and 4th note

Answer 5

Perfect 4th

Question 6

Name the interval: 1st note and 5th note

Answer 6

Perfect 5th

Question 7

Name the interval: 1st note and 6th note

Answer 7

Major 6th

Question 8

Name the interval: 1st note and 7th note

Answer 8

Major 7th

Question 9

Name the interval: 1st note and 8th note

Answer 9

Perfect 8ve (octave)

Question 10

If the upper note is in the major scale formed by the lower note, the interval will be…

Answer 10

Major or perfect

Question 11

If the upper note is not in the major scale formed by the lower, then the interval will be…

Answer 11

Minor, augmented or diminished

Question 12

What is a minor interval?

Answer 12

An interval that is one semitone narrower than a major interval.

Question 13

What is an augmented interval?

Answer 13

An interval that is one semitone wider than a major or perfect interval.

Question 14

What is a diminished interval?

Answer 14

An interval that is one semitone narrower than a minor or perfect interval e.g. diminished 3rd of diminished 4th.

Question 15

What are compound intervals?

Answer 15

Intervals which are larger than one octave.

Question 16

What are 2 ways you can describe compound intervals?

Answer 16

• The actual number of notes you
• Using the word “compound”, plus the interval an octave lower.

Question 17

What can the interval between a low E and a high F be called?

Answer 17

• Minor 9th (there are 9 letter intervals between them).
• Compound minor 2nd (E to F is a minor 2nd plus an octave).

Question 18

What is a triad? How do you make one?

Answer 18

A chord with only three notes, and is built on thirds. It is a type of chord.
Take a note, add a note that is a third higher and add another note that is a third higher than that.

Question 19

What is a chord?

Answer 19

A chord contains at least 2 notes (it can even have up to 5 notes).

Question 20

How are chords with 4 notes made?

Answer 20

Take a simple triad and add another note. The note can either be a note in the triad but an octave lower or higher or it can be another third higher than the highest note in the triad.

Question 21

What is a root of a chord?

Answer 21

A specific note that names and typifies a given chord.

Question 22

How do you build tonic, dominant and subdominant triads?

Answer 22

To build a tonic triad, start on the tonic of a scale and add the thirds.
To build a dominant triad, start on the dominant of a scale and add the thirds.
To build a subdominant triad, start on the subdominant of a scale and add the thirds.

Question 23

How are triads described in roman numerals?

Answer 23

The numeral stand for the degree of the triad e.g. tonic = I, subdominant = IV and dominant = V.

Question 24

What is a Chord II or supertonic triad?

Answer 24

The chord built up from the 2nd degree of the scale (the supertonic).

Question 25

How do you make a supertonic triad?

Answer 25

The supertonic triad is made up of the 2nd, 4th and 6th notes of the major or minor scale. We usually use the notes from the harmonic minor scale to build the supertonic chord.

Question 26

What is the supertonic triad in a major key called?

Answer 26

A minor triad because the interval between the lowest note and the middle note is a minor third and between the lowest and highest notes, the interval is a perfect 5th.

Question 27

What is the supertonic triad in a minor key called?

Answer 27

A diminished triad because the interval between the lowest note and the middle note is also a minor third, but the interval between the lowest note and the top note is a diminished 5th. Diminished chords are sometimes written with a small circle °, in lower case letters.

Question 28

What is a secondary chord/ chord ii most often followed by?

Answer 28

Chord V or chord I in second inversion.