Building Triads
Major & Minor Triads
A major triad stacks root, major 3rd, and perfect 5th (C-E-G for C major). Lower the middle note a half step and it becomes minor (C-Eb-G). Learn to build any major or minor triad from any root note in under 3 seconds.
The I-IV-V Progression
The three chords built on scale degrees 1, 4, and 5 harmonize the vast majority of simple songs. In C major that's C, F, and G. Practice moving smoothly between these three chords until the transitions are automatic.
Scales & Fingering
The C Major Scale Fingering
The standard fingering is 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 ascending, using the thumb-under crossing technique from Phase 1. Practice hands separately at a slow, even tempo before combining.
Scales in Contrary & Parallel Motion
Once comfortable hands-separately, play the C major scale in both contrary motion (hands moving apart from Middle C) and parallel motion (both hands moving the same direction, one octave apart).
Accompaniment Patterns
Block Chord Accompaniment
The simplest left-hand accompaniment: play the full triad as a single block on each chord change while the right hand plays melody. This is the fastest path to playing recognizable songs.
The Alberti Bass Pattern
A broken-chord pattern (low-high-middle-high) that adds rhythmic movement to the left hand instead of static blocks — the pattern found throughout classical repertoire from Mozart onward.
The Full Song Performance
Learn and perform a complete song (verse and chorus) using I-IV-V chords in the left hand with block chord or Alberti bass accompaniment, and melody in the right hand, from memory.
Success criteria: The song is performed start to finish without stopping. Chord changes land precisely on the beat. The performance is memorized, not read from a page.
Phase 3 Practice Exercises
12 exercises to build skill through direct application.
Triad Speed Building
Build all 7 diatonic triads in C major (I through vii°) from memory in under 60 seconds.
- Triad construction speed
- Diatonic harmony
- Music theory application
I-IV-V Loop Practice
Loop I-IV-V-I in C major for 5 minutes, focusing purely on smooth, silent hand transitions between chords.
- Chord transition smoothness
- Progression fluency
- Hand economy of motion
Scale Fingering Isolation
Play the C major scale ascending and descending, hands separately, 10 times each at a slow, deliberate tempo.
- Scale fingering accuracy
- Thumb-crossing fluency
- Ascending/descending symmetry
Contrary Motion Full Scale
Play the C major scale in contrary motion, both hands starting on Middle C, for two full octaves.
- Contrary motion mastery
- Two-octave range
- Symmetrical coordination
Block Chord Song Backing
Play block-chord I-IV-V accompaniment under a simple melody you hum or sing yourself.
- Accompaniment application
- Melody-harmony integration
- Self-accompaniment
Alberti Bass Isolation
Practice the Alberti bass pattern (low-high-middle-high) in the left hand alone on a C major triad for 5 minutes.
- Alberti pattern fluency
- Left-hand independence
- Rhythmic subdivision
Chord-Melody Combination
Combine a simple 4-note melody in the right hand with block I-IV-V chords in the left, hands together.
- Melody-harmony synthesis
- Two-hand chord playing
- Song-readiness
12-Key Triad Drill (Partial)
Build I, IV, and V triads in the keys of C, G, and F from memory, moving between keys.
- Multi-key fluency
- Transposition basics
- Key signature awareness
Song Memorization Chunking
Memorize your milestone song 4 bars at a time, testing recall of each chunk before adding the next.
- Chunked memorization
- Recall testing
- Structured learning
Tempo-Locked Performance Run
Perform the full milestone song against a metronome without stopping, even through minor errors — recover and continue.
- Performance resilience
- Tempo discipline
- Recovery under pressure
Alberti vs Block Comparison
Play the same melody twice — once with block chords, once with Alberti bass — and compare the musical effect.
- Stylistic comparison
- Accompaniment choice
- Musical judgment
Full Milestone Dress Rehearsal
Perform the complete milestone song from memory for a friend, family member, or recorded video, exactly as it will be assessed.
- Performance readiness
- Memory under observation
- Milestone preparation