TPS Piano Quick Reference

Triad Placement System — Piano

Keyboardist / Harmonist

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Core Formula

Shape + Placement + Spacing + Purpose = harmonic color

• Shape: the four triad atoms (major, minor, diminished, augmented)
• Placement: which scale degree the triad sits on relative to the bass
• Spacing: where on the keyboard and how open
• Purpose: what PDC decided the music needs

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The Four Triad Atoms

Triad	Formula	C Example	Character
Major	1 3 5	C E G	Stable, bright, clear
Minor	1 b3 5	C Eb G	Darker, warmer, emotional
Diminished	1 b3 b5	C Eb Gb	Tense, directional
Augmented	1 3 #5	C E G#	Dreamy, unresolved

Three inversions: Root (C E G) | First (E G C) | Second (G C E)

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The First Seven Placements Over C

Placement	Triad	Intervals	Sound	Best Use
1 major	C/C	1 3 5	Plain major	Clarity, grounding
3 minor	Em/C	3 5 7	Maj7 compression	Elegant major color
5 major	G/C	5 7 9	Maj9	Safe sophistication
5 minor	Gm/C	5 b7 9	Dominant 9	Blues, swing, funk
b7 major	Bb/C	b7 9 11	Dominant sus	Soulful, gospel, rock
2 major	D/C	9 #11 13	Lydian	Floating, cinematic
b3 major	Eb/C	#9 5 b7	Blues bite	Grit, dominant tension

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Major Family Quick Map

Goal	Placement	Example
Plain major	1 major	C/C
Maj7	3 minor	Em/C
Maj9	5 major	G/C
Major 6	6 minor	Am/C
Lydian	2 major	D/C
Lydian shimmer	7 minor	Bm/C

Dominant Family Quick Map

Goal	Placement	Example
Dominant 9	5 minor	Gm/C
Dominant sus	b7 major	Bb/C
Blues bite	b3 major	Eb/C
Open 13sus	2 minor	Dm/C
Dark altered	b6 major	Ab/C

Minor Family Quick Map

Goal	Placement	Example
Plain minor	1 minor	Cm/C
Minor 7	b3 major	Eb/C
Minor 9	5 minor	Gm/C
Minor 11	b7 major	Bb/C
Dorian	2 minor	Dm/C
Borrowed dark	4 minor	Fm/C

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PDC to TPS Matrix

PDC Diagnoses	TPS Options
Clarity	1 major/minor; shells; guide tones
Openness	Spread triads; pedal; 2 major
Blues bite	5 minor; b7 major; b3 major
Sophistication	3 minor; 5 major; 2 major; 7 minor
Crowded texture	One triad high; shell only; silence
Calm	1 major/minor; 6 minor; soft spread
Lift	2 major; high spread triads
Tension	b3 major; b2 minor; altered colors

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Piano Register Rules

Register	Rule
Low (below C3)	Root, 5ths, octaves only. No closed triads.
Mid (C3–C5)	Shells and careful triads. Leave vocal space.
Upper (above C5)	Color triads, spread, shimmer. This is the color zone.

Spread triads: Move one note of a closed triad up or down an octave. Same pitches, more air, more beauty.

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Piano Basic Stack

Layer	What
Left hand	Root, octave, shell (3rd + 7th), or pedal
Right hand	Closed triad, spread triad, melodic fragment

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Instrument Quick SOP

1. Set the root or shell in the left hand
2. Place the triad in the right hand closed position
3. Name the placement — not just the chord symbol
4. Play all three inversions
5. Open the best inversion into a spread version
6. Play it in time
7. Ask whether it served the music

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Voice Leading Reminder

Voice leading is a Semester 2 skill — do not let it overwhelm early learning. But start building the habit now: when moving between placements, look for the inversion where the notes travel the shortest distance. Smooth motion > large leaps.

Shell voice leading first: 3rds and 7ths. Then add TPS color above.

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15-Minute Daily Loop

Time	Layer	Action
3 min	Shape	Major/minor triads in one key, three inversions
3 min	Placement	LH C root; RH First Seven placements
3 min	Spacing	Open one placement into spread versions
3 min	Music	Use one placement over slow blues/vamp
3 min	Visualize	Hear root + triad internally before playing

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Definition of Done (per placement)

• Can play it slowly without stopping
• Can name the intervals over the root
• Can hear and describe the color
• Can use it in a groove or progression
• Can explain when it helps and when it would clutter

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TPS Mantra

Shape. Placement. Spacing. Purpose. Learn the shape. Place the shape. Open the shape. Hear the color. Serve the music.