Identifying and Listening to Triads
David Kaminski
lynndave@rcn.com
Georgetown Middle High School
TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:
Notation
Level:
High School
Class:
Music Theory
Equipment:
Computer running notation software
Duration:
40 Minutes
Prior Knowledge and Skills:
Students must already know how to build major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads.
MENC Standards Addressed:
MENC 5: Reading and notating music.
MENC 6: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
Materials:
Compter running Finale (or Print Music) software
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to apply the rules for building triads to analyzing and identifying each of the four types of triads (major, minor, augmented, and diminished) built on any root.
2. Students will learn to associate the quality of a triad with its sonority.
Procedures:
High school level music theory student will get a Finale file from the teacher. The file will be a triad worksheet on which each measure has a triad written out which the student will identify below the measure. The purpose of having the student do the worksheet on the computer is to have the student listen to each triad as they work on identifying them.
If there are not enough computers to have one for each theory student, the teacher can print a sheet out for each student and then have the students go up to hear the triads as resources allow.
Evaluation:
The teacher can grade/correct the triad worksheets as appropriate.
The teacher can formally or informally assess the listening portion of the activity by playing various triads (either on a piano or having the computer generate the sounds) and asking the students to identify the quality.
Follow Up:
Possible variations include a sheet with inverted triads, triads and inverted triads in open voicings over a grand staff, and triad names with blank measure for the student to fill with the triads.
Items to Purchase:
The school must have a site license for each computer running the notation software
When budget should be submitted:
Between May and August.
