Triads In Major Key

Exercises 1-6 focus on just I, IV, and V chords. As you listen to each progression, track the bass movement under the chords (remember your intervals!). Since the chords are all major and in root position, hearing the bass movement will actually give you all the information (for now) that you need to correctly identify the function and name of each chord. However, since you will not be able to rely solely on bass movements in later lessons, it is important to listen to the function of the chords as well. Listen to the way subdominant and dominant chords build your expectations for what chords will follow and hear how tonic chords resolve the movements. Also note the differences between a V → I resolution and a IV → I resolution. Both resolutions are possible, but the V → I resolution is much stronger.

Exercises 7-12 add the ii, and vi chords. Tracking the root movement is still very useful, and you can also detect whether a chord is major or minor to help you narrow down the possibilities. The ii chord has a predominant function, so progressions such as ii → V → I (predominant → dominant → tonic) are common and useful. The vi chord represents the relative minor chord of the tonic. In many cases, the vi chord can act as a temporary resolution on the way to the final resolution at the tonic later in the progression. Compare the progressions I → IV → V → I and I → IV → V → vi. In these progressions, both the I and vi create a resolution from the dominant, although if you are in a major key, the move to the minor chord vi is somewhat unexpected to the ear. If you use a strong resolution to the vi, it is possible to modulate keys from the major key to the relative minor (if you were in C major, you could modulate to A minor). For the purposes of these exercises though, we will not deal with modulations, so expect to hear a resolution to the tonic at the end of the progression.

Exercises 13-18 add the iii and vii^o chords. The iii chord is the third possible diatonic minor chord and can serve a dominant function (it shares two common notes with the dominant triad; for example, Em and G share the notes G and B). The leading tone chord in a major key is a diminished chord and serves a dominant function. Note that the leading tone chord also shares two common pitches with the dominant (B^o vs G major - B and D are shared) and actually shares all three pitches with a dominant chord with a seventh (B, D, F vs G, B, D, F).

The answers to each progression show the bass movement, the function (below staff), and the chord name (above the staff).