Many chords used in more advanced musical genres (such as jazz) rely on 6-note chord shapes that cover the entire fretboard, yet most guitar parts requiring more than just strumming the chords consist of less than six notes.
Opting for a transposable triad shape will reduce finger movements between open and barred chords and helps you keep a more solid sounding note.
1. C Major Triad
C Major Triad chord is often one of the first triad chords guitar players learn, due to its ease in traversing across the fretboard and creating different voicings of its shape.
It consists of a root (C), third (E), and fifth (G). The distance between the second and fourth notes creates a major third interval that gives this tune its distinctive sound.
When playing these chords, it’s essential to maintain consistent fingering on each string. Your index finger should play notes at the fifth fret while middle and ring fingers take care of sixth and seventh fret notes respectively.
Change the root note to move these chord shapes between keys. For instance, C open version of this triad easily moves to G by shifting its root note up an octave. However, fingers must then be adjusted in accordance with this new key.
2. E Major Triad
The E major triad is an integral part of many genres of music, from folk rock such as Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’ to pop songs by Adele or others who use it in epic ballads. It can be found across genres and is an excellent starting point to experimenting with more complex chord structures and guitar techniques.
Triad chords consist of three notes, with each note possessing its own specific note interval quality (diminished, minor, major or perfect – see table for breakdown of interval qualities).
At first, let’s focus on four-string closed E major triads. When learning these, focus on getting their shapes and ROOT NOTE correct – without this knowledge you won’t get far! Once this knowledge is secure, experimenting with inversions can be fun – just remember that in a band setting the bass instrument or another instrument will take care of providing bass notes regardless of how you form each string’s triad shape.
3. G Major Triad
Once you’ve memorized the major chord shapes that cover the first three frets of your guitar, it’s time to progress up one string set. Begin by moving an existing C shape from C up a string set – say from C to G for example.
This move opens up many new options for guitar chords. Most parts that involve more than simply strumming will use more than three notes; nevertheless, learning these shapes will allow you to play barre and power chords anywhere on the neck.
Once you’ve barred this shape, try playing three variations: regular G major chord, sus2 (moved down one note), and sus4 (moved up one note). Each variation changes how the chord sounds and can add to your musical palette; keep practicing these variations to build your fingering skills further. Working with an experienced guitar teacher would also be invaluable as you attempt these and other chord shapes.
4. F Major Triad
The F major triad is one of the most ubiquitous chords in guitar, used across various songs and musical genres. Additionally, this chord can help build finger strength and dexterity on the fretboard – perfect for developing finger strength as you practice various chords up and down the neck for ultimate flexibility to play any genre of music!
This triad forms a major chord since there is an equal distance between its root and third notes, or it can also be inverted for use as a minor chord with an equal distance between its roots and fifth notes forming half tones between them.
Move this shape up two frets to form a D chord. The F major triad can be used in various ways and is especially helpful when creating bar chords – just beware that this chord might cause more trouble than you can handle! Beginners may find this chord particularly challenging!