Learning Chord Forms and Triads Up the Neck

[Annie B]

My goal is to develop my ability to arrange guitar breaks for the Americana tunes I play but am stymied by my limited knowledge of even the basic chords, esp. triads, up the neck. Would love to hear how those of you who have tackled, or are tackling, this skill have gone about it. Many thanks in advance!

[JonPR]

Learn the CAGED system. Every major chord (all 12) is playable as one of those 5 shapes, in different positions.
IOW, the major triad chord is actually a 12-fret, 6-string arpeggio, which we normally break down into those 5 familiar shapes (as barres or partial shapes when necessary). That 12-fret pattern simply shifts up or down the neck to give you all 12 major chords.

Here is the pattern for a C major triad:

    0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  
    3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-R-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|--
    --|-R-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-R-|---|---|--
    5-|---|---|---|---|-R-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|--
    --|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-R-|---|---|---|-3-|---|--
    --|---|---|-R-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-R-|--
    3-|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|-R-|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|-5-|--
    \_____C_______/    \______G______/     \_____D_______/
               \____A____/         \____E____/     \_____C_______/

Those are all the fret positions for the notes C ("R"), E ("3) and G ("5"). So anywhere you can get those 3 notes together, you have a triad shape. (Although strictly speaking it's still a triad when you double up any of those notes. "Triad" just means 3 different notes, not "3 notes only".)

Notice the pattern loops round again from fret 12.

Shift the whole thing 2 frets up and it's a D major arpeggio (beginning with an open D shape, of course).

For an F chord, start with the E shape on fret 1, so the shapes then run E-D-C-A-G, up to another E-shape barre on 13.

Minor triads are more complicated because there are only 3 familiar open position shapes: Em, Am, Dm. We normally play Cm and Gm chords as barre versions of the Em and Am shapes. So, in the CAGED series, the positions for the "Cm" and "Gm" shapes are not fully playable barre shapes.

To get the idea, just take all the "3" chord tones in the above diagram and lower them 1 fret (to the left). That gives you a Cm triad arpeggio. You'll see the "Am" barre shape on fret 3 (3-3-5-5-4-3) and the "Em" barre shape on fret 8 (8-10-10-8-8-8); in between are partial shapes.

[Mr.Thumbpick]

Another way to think about it is obviously being a triad there are only three inversions of a triad Root, 1st and 2nd inversion...

If we concentrate on playing major chords on the first four strings ignoring the bass strings for a moment and starting with say and e major chord at the open position. We could call that the "E major" shape chord. Then at the fourth fret if you barre that fourth fret and play an open C shaped chord, that's another e chord. Then finally at the 7th fret there's another E major chord that uses the open A major shape... So that's your three basic open chord shapes. The E shape, the C shape and the A shape... Work out your 3rd in all those shapes and drop them a semitone and you get a minor chord. F major at the first fret on the highest four strings you will note is really an "open E major shape" moved up one fret.

Then play the same shapes up a semitone etc etc...

Open D major is really a "C Shape" chord. You can see that when you play a C major shaped barre chord barring the second fret which is of course a D chord. Then look at your 3 highest strings which form the open D major shape.

[Annie B]

Thank you for taking the time to explain all this to me!

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Annie B

My goal is to develop my ability to arrange guitar breaks for the Americana tunes I play but am stymied by my limited knowledge of even the basic chords, esp. triads, up the neck. Would love to hear how those of you who have tackled, or are tackling, this skill have gone about it. Many thanks in advance!

Hi Annie B
I taught fingerstyle for 40 years, and one of the 'sections' was major and minor triads in three inversions on strings 1-2-3 and 2-3-4 and 3-4-5 (and then other three string groups if they wished to pursue it further).

I initially learned them when I figured out how to play the next two positions for the standard 'D maj' chord (on strings 1-2-3) so I could play them in higher positions up the neck when tuned to Dropped D.

Then the lights began to come on and I had a gigging partner so we started figuring out how to play the same chords in different locations (and techniques) at the same time in our arrangements.

Inversions are simple to figure out through experimenting, and easy to remember if you just work them into your brain. Patterns repeat predictably up the neck.

I had the advantage of starting music on keys, and knew my scales and chords from age 8. So transferring it over to guitar was just a matter of figuring out the note fingerings and then working them into my hands so they were instant and automatic.

These days I use them not only for acoustic arranging, and also when playing backing electric and lead.

There are a ton of free guides to these style of chord forms on YouTube.

[12barBill]

Annie, I think this is a really helpful starting point. And Justin has other good follow up triad lessons.

[rick-slo]

When you are playing a piece it's best to be thinking about the phrasing and how the phrases string together.
Motor memory is a friend for that and kicks in with repetition.

On the other hand if you really go at it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyMpoWAgUs8

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Annie B

My goal is to develop my ability to arrange guitar breaks for the Americana tunes I play but am stymied by my limited knowledge of even the basic chords, esp. triads, up the neck. Would love to hear how those of you who have tackled, or are tackling, this skill have gone about it. Many thanks in advance!

Here's how I tackled it. The good news is that you don't need a lot of theory. The bad news is that it takes work and time:

1. Learn the four most common major-key bar chord shapes. If you imagine that the nut is your forefinger, then the shapes are the open E, A, G, and C chords. They're called first-, second-, third-, and fourth-position bars.

2. Learn the two most common minor-key shapes. If the nut is your forefinger, they're Am and Em.

3. Identify some triads. For example in the first-position bar, the D, G and B strings form a major triad. In second-position, the G, B, and high E do. In third, the low E, A, and D strings do. In fourth, the A, D, and G do.

4. Start working on learning those bars (and triads) up and down the neck.

Those triads start with the root note and go up. But your triads can start on any of the three notes. For instance, the three high notes of all bar chords are a big help. So are the second, third, and fourth string. The more you fool around with them, the more handy combinations you'll find.

More good news: Those three-string chord shapes are the basis of single-string melodies and two-string (a.k.a.) double-stop harmonies. Listen to bluegrass, and you'll hear how the scales change with every chord change.

An added advantage of this method: Bar chords are easy to transpose because you just move the entire chord progression up and down the neck. You can't do that with cowboy chords.

So in short: Learn your bar chords! Each one is a triad cluster.

[jseth]

Learning a major scale using double-stops is probably what I use the most... I'm partial to both thirds and sixths. Of course, thirds are on adjacent strings, so they were what I began playing (think = intro to "Brown Eyed Girl", for instance). Sixths are two notes over three strings, skipping the string in between.

Try to suss out a "Do-Re-Mi" major scale in G or in D to begin with... fiddle with the fingering until you get the sounds you're looking for...

Then work on playing that same "scale" in all the keys. Takes some time, sure, but it's fun and rewarding! Once you have them ingrained, you will always have them to use for embellishment on whatever tune you're playing...

[mr. beaumont]

the CAGED shapes are great.

If you want true freedom of the fretboard, you gotta learn the notes and what notes are in the chord. Once you can see a C major chord is ANYWHERE you can grab a C, E, and G (in any order) the whole guitar is unlocked.

[OnTheFidele]

Not OP, but a really timely thread for me nonetheless.

[Context: Self-learner here. I'm about a quarter through Leavitt's second book. I'm starting to get the notes across the fingerboard instinctive up to about the 9th fret by naming the notes while practicing scales and chords from positions 2-12 (up to position 5 and moving on to the other positions gradually). This method's been working for me the best compared to others I've tried. I've got many of the basic movable chords down and am finally just beginning to be able to visualize the harmonized scale across the fingerboard. Just barely the major scale so far, but something recently "clicked". I'm scratching the surface of triads and got "Triad Magic" by Jerry Jennings to see if it will help.]

(As an aside, I really like how Leavitt's system progresses and his etudes and arrangements sound great. Figuring out his sightreading book has been tough, though. I think it's about time for me to start looking for a teacher.)

Thank you all for your very hepful replies. I'm okay with pain and know it's a long journey to really understanding the fretboard, but it's very encouraging to know that the pain will be worth it and there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.

[TBman]

Learning triads, after the basic chords, is probably one of the most important things to learn on the guitar. I have a Mark Hanson book around somewhere that has a lot of good information in it.

I think of them in terms of "shapes." I should incorporate what I know into reading the notation for them up and down the neck. Hmm, good project to start on now that I'm retired.

[Annie B]

Originally Posted by TBman

I have a Mark Hanson book around somewhere that has a lot of good information in it.

Is the Mark Hanson book Triad Power?

[Annie B]

Originally Posted by OnTheFidele

Self-learner here. I'm about a quarter through Leavitt's second book. I'm starting to get the notes across the fingerboard instinctive up to about the 9th fret

Is this the second of Leavitt's Method books?

[OnTheFidele]

Originally Posted by Annie B

Is this the second of Leavitt's Method books?

Yes. The second volume is where he begins covering triads and inversions.