One of the fundamental chords you’ll come across when learning guitar is D major shape, used in numerous iconic songs like U2’s “Desire” and Demi Lovato’s “Let It Go”.
The D major chord is constructed on a triad, comprised of stacked thirds and perfect fifths.
Major Triad
A major triad is a chord consisting of three consecutive notes and is an essential element for creating other chords; it can be found across all keys.
Triad shapes provide an easy and safe way to practice chords without becoming overwhelmed by the entire fretboard all at once. CAGED allows you to break apart these triads and isolate them – once this has been accomplished, each will act as a landmark on the fretboard and help build up your vocabulary quickly.
Note intervals within a triad are what determine its chord quality; for instance if it contains major thirds and perfect fifths it would be considered dominant; otherwise if it contains minor thirds and diminished fifths then it becomes minor; these notes are called chord tones, and can be played through various techniques.
Minor Triad
Minor triads are among the easiest chords to learn. Consisting of notes 1, 3, and 5 from any minor scale with interval structures of 1/b3/5 this chord also known as root position minor triad is widely utilized by musicians of all levels.
As with the major shapes, minor triads can also be altered in various inversions by moving up and down the fretboard in various steps. When inverted, each note in the triad changes positions such that its root note becomes its top note while its third becomes its base note – meaning the chord can still be played on thin strings but will sound higher as its root note remains at the forefront.
To raise a minor triad shape up an octave, simply find and play its root note on the thinnest string before playing all other notes of the chord on any of the other strings. Remember that minor triads should not be treated as power chords but should rather be used in a supporting capacity such as accompanying bass notes with another instrument like piano.
Dominant Triad
The fifth degree of any scale is known as the dominant. Chords built upon this degree tend to feel tension-filled and unstable before eventually resolving back to the tonic chord in some way. They’re commonly used as transition points into other keys or to modulate into subsequent chords on a circle of fifths progressions.
The chord G dominant consists of its root note (G), third note (B), and fifth note (D), which form the same notes as those in a major triad; however, one half step has been dropped from its seventh degree, producing a minor seventh that gives this chord an uneven, unsteady quality that’s distinct from that of its counterparts.
This chord can also be extended further to form ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords with identical notes compared to those found in dominant sevenths but with additional ones added; these augmented chords add vibrancy to your comping and improvisation!
Sus4 Triad
Though uncommon, certain chord progressions may feature sus4 or 7sus4 chords (see Suspended Chords lesson for more info). These suspension chords replace the third with either the 2nd (sus2) or 4th interval (sus4); as their lack of third makes these neither major nor minor and how they function ultimately depends on which chord progression they’re used in – while sus4 chords typically resolve down while sus2 ones often resolve up.
Your chances of encountering Dsus4 chords as embellishments on other chord progressions or improvisations is likely. When using them, try to incorporate strong resolution for their fourth tone – such as going from Dsus4 to either C major (using it as an appoggiatura or ritardo) or B major using dominant-7sus4.
Combining suspended chords is also a great way to create movement around a constant tonic note; Luther Vandross did this very effectively in his song Never Too Much by using a sequence of 9sus4 chords as part of its soundscape.