Primary Triads & Writing a Melody

The three chords — built on degrees 1, 4 and 5 — that harmonise almost any simple tune, and how to use them to shape a melody.

What's inside

• The three primary triads in C major — I (tonic), IV (subdominant), V (dominant) — with their notes and character
• A table of each triad's notes in C, G and F major, and which scale degree it's built on
• Hanging a melody on the primary triads — an eight-bar question-and-answer shape diagrammed against I, IV and V
• How to finish a melody convincingly, and why you should always sing or play it back