What Is a Minor Triad?

A minor triad is a three-note chord: a root, a minor third (three half steps up), and a perfect fifth (seven half steps up). Formula: 1 – ♭3 – 5. C minor triad = C, E♭, G. It's the "m" in Am and Em — the dark, serious counterpart to the major triad.

One fret is the whole difference

Major and minor triads share their root and fifth; only the middle note moves. Here's C minor on the top three strings — compare the middle note to the major version:

That one-fret difference between E and E♭ is the entire major/minor divide — dissected in Major Third vs Minor Third.

Where minor triads live in a key

In any major key, the diatonic chords on degrees ii, iii, and vi are minor — that's why the 2-chord of C major is Dm, not D. And every minor key's home chord (the i) is a minor triad. The mechanics are in How Chords Are Built from Scales; the shapes across all string sets are in Triads on Guitar.

Related terms

• Major triad — the bright sibling
• Natural minor scale — the scale it anchors
• Triad — all four types compared