What is the root?

What is the root?

• A. The highest note in the triad
• B. The middle note of the triad
• C. The lowest of the three notes in a triad
• D. The root position of the triad

Answer: (C)

In a triad, the root is the note the chord is built on. When a triad is in root position, that root is the lowest sounding note, which is why the option that identifies the root as the lowest of the three notes is the best fit. The highest note and the middle note typically serve other roles (fifth and third, respectively), and saying the triad is in root position describes its placement rather than naming the root itself. So, in root-position triads, the root corresponds to the lowest pitch.

In a triad, the root is the note the chord is built on. When a triad is in root position, that root is the lowest sounding note, which is why the option that identifies the root as the lowest of the three notes is the best fit. The highest note and the middle note typically serve other roles (fifth and third, respectively), and saying the triad is in root position describes its placement rather than naming the root itself. So, in root-position triads, the root corresponds to the lowest pitch.