How To Form Triads Along The Guitar Fretboard

This lesson will teach you how to form triads along the guitar fretboard.  Which will provide more diversity in your playing and enhance your musicianship.

 

It’s one thing to learn how to play triads in the open position (em, A, G, C, am, etc) but when we can move them up the fretboard we can expand our playability.

 

Root three major triads

The first triad we are going to look at is the root three triad.  This comes from the A major chord.  The one that is formed on the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings at the second fret.  A chord commonly found in hundreds of songs.

 

This is also known as a root three triad because the root of the chord (the A note) is on the third string.  Now, this chord is normally formed with three fingers, but if we bar it with one finger we can move it up the fretboard.

 

This gives a nice alternative to the normal barre chord shape that is commonly used when playing further up the guitar fretboard.  The A major barre chord played at the fifth fret 6th string is known as a root 6 major triad.

 

By utilizing the root 3 triad, we now expand our chord vocabulary and diversity when playing further up the fretboard.  Plus this chord shape gives us a different sound.  This creates a different emotion and gives us a different chord shape to work with.

 

Root 2 major triads

The root 2 triad is formed by the D major chord.  This chord is a basic foundation chord and is found in hundreds of songs also.

 

 

This is a root 2 triad because the root of the chord (the D note) is on the 2nd string.  If the root of the chord was on the 5th string, it would be a root 5 triad.  Make sense?  By knowing this information you can do more with the D major chord shape.

 

You can move this chord shape further up the fretboard and create additional chords without having to change shape.  This is fantastic because when you move the chord up the fretboard, the notes change automatically.  No need to think too much.

 

When this chord shape is played at the normal position (2nd string 3rd fret) it is a root 2 D major triad.  But if you move it up two frets it becomes a root 2 E major triad.  Move it up again by three frets and it becomes a root 2 G major triad.

 

Root 1 major triads

Now this chord is a little bit tricky.  Not in forming the chord, but in the fact that we don’t have a common open chord shape of this nature.  The reason for this is because it is formed off of the root 6 barre chord shape.

 

Look at it like an abbreviated barre chord.  I say this because all major triads are made up of the 1 3 & 5th notes of the key they come out of.  They don’t have to be in that exact order, but they do have to be present within the chord.

 

Since these chords are made up of only three notes, they can be formed all over the guitar fretboard.  Once you discover where they are located, you can create endless possibilities with them.  This is why it is good to learn your notes on all 6 strings.

 

Additional Chord Theory

If you’d like to learn more about triads and what you can do with them,  check out the book that I authored and self-published on Amazon.  Learn Guitar Chord Theory.

 

 

Learn Guitar Chord Theory is a comprehensive course on enjoying the fun of constructing guitar chords. It will lead you on a path to guitar chord mastery. It will teach you how to build and fully understand guitar chords in a simple step-by-step method.

 

Starting with the triad (three-note chord) and building up and out from there. Learn the foundation of the guitar chord, how to properly form it, what notes are needed for each key, and what’s necessary to create music with them.

 

Learn to play guitar chords such as majors, minors, sus2, sus4, augmented, diminished, sixth chords, dominant seventh chords, etc. In addition to all that, you’ll also learn why they are called those names. This will give you a foundation for the basics of music theory. Yep, it’s all here and more in this book Learn Guitar Chord Theory.

 

Lesson Conclusion

These three triads can spark your creativity when you work with them.  Put them into your daily practice routine and see what great ideas you can come up with.  You just might surprise yourself.  Also, look for them in some of your favorite songs.

 

If you feel you’d like to take your guitar playing to the next level by getting private guitar lessons, feel free to reach out and let me know.  I offer lessons in a multitude of formats.  In-person, virtual, method books, and online courses.

 

Guitar lessons are a great way to get started as well as continue your music education if you have already gotten started.  They can serve the purpose of getting you the results you desire in half the amount of time.  No matter what those desres are.

 

Thank you for reading and until our next lesson, take care.

Sincerely, Dwayne Jenkins