The minor third consists of one whole step plus one half step. To find the “flat 5” we move our perfect 5th back one half step, giving us C-Eb-Gb.Īnother way of thinking about diminished triads is to think of them simply as stacked minor 3rd intervals. To create a diminished triad, we begin by taking some root (let’s stick with C), and then we add a minor third above, plus a flat 5th on top. To create a minor triad, we do the same, except instead of moving a major third above the root, we take a minor third and the perfect fifth (so a C minor triad would consist of C-Eb-G). Note: if you have not read the previous postings on this topic, take a look at them before reading on.Īs we saw in part one of this series, major triads are created by taking some root, for example C, then adding a major third, and a perfect 5th above (in this case giving us C-E-G). Today, we’ll take a look at diminished and augmented chords. So far in this series, we’ve looked at major, minor, major seventh, minor seventh and dominant seventh chords.

B flat augmented triad