Triads
A TRIAD is a 3 note chord containing only the First (1), Third (3) and Fifth (5) notes of a major scale. There are only 4 types of TRIADS and chords are based upon these 4 basic TRIADS.
MAJOR TRIAD, MINOR TRIAD, AUGMENTED TRIAD and DIMINISHED TRIAD.
E.g., in the key of C major the 4 TRIADS would contain the following notes based upon the C major scale.
When playing a diminished chord it is more common to actually play a Diminished 7 chord. The notes in a Dim 7 chord are 1 b3 b5 bb7.
E.g., C dim 7 (CB7) C Eb Gb Bbb
When playing the triad exercises, use both hands as shown in the photograph.
In the following exercises you will find different voicings and ways to play triads.
E.g., C major Triad
E.g., C minor Triad
E.g., C augmented Triad
E.g., C diminished Triad (and C diminished 7 chord)
When playing an interval, triad or any chord, let all notes ring!
In some cases, it is possible to play four notes simultaneously (instead of three)
E.g., C major
E.g., C minor
E.g., C augmented
E.g., C diminished
Whether or not you double a note in the triad (i.e., play 4 notes) depends on the music piece.
If you want to add a fourth note to a triad, place the seventh note on top. The result is called a seventh chord.
When a seventh is added it is always assumed to be a minor 7th (flattened 7th). You can however add any 7th, e.g., major 7th, diminished 7th (bb 7)
The most common chords created by adding a 7th to the 4 triads are :
FORMULA
MAJ7 – adding major 7th to major triad
DOM7 – adding minor 7th to major triad (called dominant 7th chord)
MIN7 – adding minor 7th to minor triad
DIM7 – adding diminished 7th to diminished triad
HALF DIMINISHED 7(N7) – adding minor 7th to diminished triad (sometimes called minor seven flat five e.g., Cm7b5)
In the following exercises, you will find different voicings and ways to play the various seventh chords, sometimes using only three notes (1st, 3rd, 7th). It is allowable to omit the 5th note when playing certain chords.
Diminished 7th chord - (1 b3 b5 bb7)
Half Diminished chord - (1 b3 b5 b7)
The half - diminished chord with the fifth omitted is the same as the minor seventh chord with its fifth omitted.
Now that you have a number of possibilities to use triads and seventh chords, you can find any other chord by putting the right intervals together. Try out the different ways and listen carefully before you decide which one best suits the music.
Here are a few more examples of chords, adding intervals such as 9th, 11th, and 13th.
After learning the theory behind constructing triads and chords you should memorize their patterns (voicings) on the fretboard, so that you can use them effectively and transpose into other keys.
Play the major triad chromatically (one fret at a time) up and down the fingerboard.
Repeat as before, but use the minor triad instead.
The next series of exercises combine the left and right hands together to improve your dexterity, accuracy and speed.
It summarizes intervals, triads and 4 note chords in different combinations. Chord symbols are placed above each exercise.
3 Notes on One String
Triads on One String: (1 3 5)
Triads on Two String: (1 3 5)
1st Inversion of The Triads: (3 5 1)
* Eb/G means an Eb Major chord with G as its lowest note.
* Em/G means an E Minor chord with G as its lowest note.
2nd Inversion of The Triads: (5 1 3)
4 Note Chord Studies on Two Strings:
All exercises from ‘3 Notes on One String’ up to this point should be memorized and transposed on to different strings and positions.
