I have managed to continue down the triad/arpeggio rabbit hole.

[Kevin G String]

Oh my word, I didn't know how vast this journey was going to be. It's taking some investment of time. But I believe it is a really useful investment to my playing.

Funny how I am accidentally playing stuff that I've heard on the radio etc.

What I'm finding at the moment as I continue is that my ear is improving. I haven't had much of a musical ear so far.

I'm realising how important triads are in forming licks and riffs.

I'm seeing their relationships to scales and how they're connected.

So I retract what I said about noodling in my original post. Noodling is good, provided it is done with purpose and not just allowing fingers to fall into comfortable places by rote.

My original idea was to get away from patterns. But, what I'm seeing at the moment is that patterns are useful as long as they're not all you have in navigating the fretboard. So, I'm using a combination of patterns and make myself mindful of the notes those patterns spell out in context.

I'm happy with my progress.

I see now how those books telling you you can master the fretboard in 15 minutes are misleading. Those shortcuts are useful in establishing the octave notes from the 6th and 5th strings but there is much more to it than that. That by itself won't allow you to solo/improvise like a boss. Unless I'm missing something? My sense is that we need to engage both halves of the brain to learn to play effortlessly, but conscious of the notes being played rather than widdling around scale patterns indiscriminately. Which is what I've been doing for most of my 40 years of playing! Never learnt many covers. ;o) Too lazy!

Please tell me if I am missing something. I'm not the sharpest tool in the box at times.

Thanks in advance ...

[TBman]

I'm on the edge of the rabbit hole myself. I'm going to teach myself to harmonize a few scales with triads in DADGAD, CGDGCD AND CGDGAD tunings. I like to spend my time playing and recording so I'm not sure how I'm going to fit it all in, but I'm going to start in DADGAD and see how it goes.

[Kevin G String]

Just lean gently forward and allow yourself to fall joyfully down that rabbit hole! ;o)

It'll be worth it!

[joeld]

I agree with this. I've been working on arps all over the neck for the last few months and I find I am now much more able to pick up melodies by ear rather than needing them written down.

You might be past this point already, but playing a continuous Cmaj arpeggio all over the neck while calling out the notes has really helped me with fingerboard note finding.

And yeah, it's endless. Once you get good at one, there are endless others, including scales and arbitrary little progressions. At first it was hard and tiring, but now I find it strangely calming. I guess because I always (in principle anyway) know what note is coming next.

[JonPR]

All good. Chord shapes and arpeggios are the essential map of the fretboard. Much more useful (and clearer) than scale patterns.

[MartinGibsonFan]

Triads and Power Chords are now on my learning list.

I knew about Triads before, but the TRUE concept of Power Chords was not realized until today in a related thread.

Who knew a power chord consisted of two notes !!!

With a 3rd note to denote a major or minor

J

[HOF dad]

triads have been on my horizon for a while now....just not sure where to start.
Any suggestions?

[Mr. Jelly]

Patterns are great if you know what you are doing. Patterns alone are a facial attempt at playing music.

[Kevin G String]

Got there in the end.

There is a place to start HOFdad. Strings ebg. The diamonds denote the root of the triad. Enjoy! ;o)

[MartinGibsonFan]

Originally Posted by HOF dad

triads have been on my horizon for a while now....just not sure where to start.
Any suggestions?

Take your Cowboy Chords, your Cmaj your Dm your Amaj your Gmaj.

Chose three strings in those Cowboy Chords and run with it.

That's my approach, probably not very theoretical, but it works for me.

I have minimal music theory, I know an A shape chord played at the 2 fret is a C, I know that an Em shape chord played at the 5th fret is an A minor.

I think with rudimentary knowledge, you can use Cowboy Chord Triads and transform them further up the neck.

I know I have.

J

[Kevin G String]

I have minimal music theory, I know an A shape chord played at the 2 fret is a C, I know that an Em shape chord played at the 5th fret is an A minor.

A shape chord at the second fret would be B maj. I'm sure you meant 3rd fret.

[MartinGibsonFan]

That's what I meant, third fret A shaped chord.

Darn, i got those half steps all mixed up.

J

[MartinGibsonFan]

E to F and B to C half step chords.

Reminder, reminder, reminder, reminder



J

[12barBill]

Originally Posted by MartinGibsonFan

I have minimal music theory, I know an A shape chord played at the 2 fret is a C



J

Originally Posted by Kevin G String

A shape chord at the second fret would be B maj. I'm sure you meant 3rd fret.

Wait a minute. Just checking to make sure that I'm not hallucinating.

An A maj chord shape played at the second fret would be an... A maj chord.

I realize you must be talking about A shape barre chord forms but the wording almost caused a flashback...

[MartinGibsonFan]

I apologize if my terminology isn't correct.

When I say shaped at a certain fret number, I mean where the index finger would be formed to do the barre.

J