Your Online Guide to Playing Better Jazz Guitar
Triads
Triads are three-note chords that have four different qualities, Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented.
Each triad can be played both Harmonically (strummed or plucked all at the same time), or Melodically (each note plucked one at a time in order). When practicing these triads it is a good idea to use both techniques in order to fully retain each shape in your fingers and the sound of each voicing in your ears.
Click on any of the triads below to learn more about how each triad is built, get fingering charts for both open and closed position triads and to start bringing these very important, but often forgotten about musical devices.
Have a question or comment about these Triads? Visit the Jazz Guitar Triads thread at the MWG Forum.
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Triad Fingerings for Guitar
4 Responses to "Triads"
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matt: i have been reading about triads and have been wondering what are the applications of triads in jazz in relation to extended chords. i hae been studying and practicing big chords for a long time and now i am wondering which chords apply where??? are triads mainly used foe comping .
Hey,
You can use triads for soloing or comping if you like, both work great. Also, try starting triads from the ninth of each chord to get the upper extensions. Some that work very well are D over Cmaj7, D over C7, Dm over Cm and Dm over Cmaj7 and C7.
matt: I am having trouble practicing in all 12 keys. Can you give us an idea as to exactly how to approach this task. I am trying to take the lesson and going up one fret at a time and changing the notes i step higher as i go. is this the right way to handle this???
Hey Richard,
That is a good way to practice, moving in the cycle of 5ths or 4ths is also a good way.
I prefer to practice over tunes instead. Like if I wanted to work on a triad, I would practice it over the chords to All the Things You Are or Autumn Leaves or a Blues.
That way I learned the new material, I took it to a number of different keys and triad qualities, and I now can apply that technique directly to a tune, which for me is the whole point of learning this stuff.
Hope this helps.