The quality of the triad above is

A triad is a three-note chord built by stacking thirds. Triads come in four qualities: major, minor, augmented, and diminished. Each quality is defined by the specific combination of intervals between the root, third, and fifth.

The notation shown presents a triad in root position on the treble staff. The bottom note is C (on the first ledger line below the staff), the middle note is E (on the first line of the staff), and the top note is G-sharp, indicated by the sharp sign on the second line. This gives the notes C - E - G#.

To determine the quality, examine the intervals between the notes:

• From C to E is a major third (4 semitones).
• From E to G# is also a major third (4 semitones).
• From C to G# is an augmented fifth (8 semitones).

An augmented triad is built from two consecutive major thirds, producing an augmented fifth between the root and the top note. This is exactly what the chord C - E - G# demonstrates. The sharp raises the fifth from a perfect fifth (G) to an augmented fifth (G#), which is the defining characteristic of the augmented quality.

For comparison:

• A major triad (C - E - G) has a major third plus a minor third, giving a perfect fifth.
• A minor triad (C - E\(\flat\) - G) has a minor third plus a major third, also giving a perfect fifth.
• A diminished triad (C - E\(\flat\) - G\(\flat\)) has two minor thirds, giving a diminished fifth.

Since this triad contains two stacked major thirds and spans an augmented fifth from root to top note, its quality is augmented.

When identifying triad quality in an exam, always count the semitones between each pair of adjacent notes: major third = 4 semitones, minor third = 3 semitones. Two major thirds stacked means augmented; two minor thirds means diminished; major then minor means major; minor then major means minor.