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Spelling of Basic Triads

Enharmonics are given in parentheses. Notice that the spellings get funkier the more Sharps and Flats that there are, especially for the diminished and Augmented Chords. Also notice that if we ignore the Accidentials for a moment, all of the Notes make a pattern of Thirds, just like the lines and spaces of the Staff! G-B-D-F-A-C-E-G-B-D-F-A-C-E-...etc.

Do not feel obligated to commit all of these to memory just yet. Not all of these are common. We just want to give you an idea of what they look like.

• Major: C-E-G
• minor: C-E♭-G
• diminished: C-E♭-G♭
• Augmented: C-E-G♯

• Major: G-B-D
• minor: G-B♭-D
• diminished: G-B♭-D♭
• Augmented: G-B-D♯

• Major: D-F♯-A
• minor: D-F-A
• diminished: D-F-A♭
• Augmented: D-F♯-A♯

• Major: A-C♯-E
• minor: A-C-E
• diminished: A-C-E♭
• Augmented: A-C♯-E♯

• Major: E-G♯-B
• minor: E-G-B
• diminished: E-G-B♭
• Augmented: E-G♯-B♯(C)

• Major: B-D♯-F♯
• minor: B-D-F♯
• diminished: B-D-F
• Augmented: B-D♯-Fx(G)

• Major: F♯-A♯-C♯
• minor: F♯-A-C♯
• diminished: F♯-A-C
• Augmented: F♯-A♯-Cx(D)

• Major: C♯-E♯-G♯
• minor: C♯-E-G♯
• diminished: C♯-E-G
• Augmented: C♯-E♯-Gx(A)

• Major: F-A-C
• minor: F-A♭-C
• diminished: F-A♭-C♭(B)
• Augmented: F-A-C♯

• Major: B♭-D-F
• minor: B♭-D♭-F
• diminished: B♭-D♭-F♭
• Augmented: B♭-D-F♯

• Major: E♭-G-B♭
• minor: E♭-G♭-B♭
• diminished: E♭-G♭-B♭♭(A)
• Augmented: E♭-G-B

• Major: A♭-C-E♭
• minor: A♭-C♭(B)-E♭
• diminished: A♭-C♭(B)-E♭♭(D)
• Augmented: A♭-C-E

• Major: D♭-F-A♭
• minor: D♭-F♭-A♭
• diminished: D♭-F♭-A♭♭(G)
• Augmented: D♭-F-A

• Major: G♭-B♭-D♭
• minor: G♭-B♭♭(A)-D♭
• diminished: G♭-B♭♭(A)-D♭♭(C)
• Augmented: G♭-B♭-D

• Major: C♭(B)-E♭-G♭
• minor: C♭(B)-E♭♭(D)-G♭
• diminished: C♭(B)-E♭♭(D)-G♭♭(F)
• Augmented: C♭(B)-E♭-G