Major Triad & Inversions

Major Triads & Inversions:

What Are They ???

 

Triads are some of the simplest chords that you can play on your guitar. The shapes are generally pretty easy, and as long as you aren’t playing any open strings, the basic shapes can be moved all over the neck to play different guitar chords of the same quality. Knowing where to find them on your guitar is important, but knowing how to build them will help take your playing to the next level, as you’ll begin to understand how to build your own chords, and then use the notes in those chords to solo!

 

Simply put, a triad is a 3 note chord. If you’ve ever played a C, G, D, or even Em chord, you’ve played a triad. Spoiler alert, those aren’t the only triads, but just some of the first we learn to play on the guitar.

You may be thinking to yourself that you’ve played these chords before, but you’ve played more than 3 notes. Well, yes, and no.

Though you may have strummed 4, 5, or even all 6 strings, you’ve really only played 3 notes. Take the C chord for example. The notes that you will play in this chord from low E to high E are: C – E – G – C – E. Notice how it’s only 3 notes?

Once you begin to understand how chords are built, you will be able to see any chord, even a G7b9b13 and understand how to interpret it and how to play it.

Below Major Triad & Inversions (Root - Major 3rd - Major 5)