Lesson 3: Major Triads - Sing it with me! "I LOVE THEORY!!"

[jem7vwh]

Lesson 3: Major Triads
Prerequisite: Lesson 2
__________________

OK, this should prove a simple tutorial on how to construct your basic Major Triad, or Chord. *In order to build a triad we need two pieces of information. *We need the name of the chord, such as C Major, or D Major, and we need the notes of the the corresponding scale. *For a major triad we need the note and the major scale. *So to create a C Major triad, we've already decided that the root note is C. *Then the C Major scale (as covered in Lesson 2) is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

Now that we have our two basic pieces of information, to construct the chord we pull out three pieces of that scale. *The Root, the 3rd, and 5th. *These three notes make up a C Major Triad. *There are much more complex versions of chords where you would use as many as 7 notes, however, most guitar chords use 3 or 4 notes from the scale. *Now our task is to find a place on the fretboard where we can conveniently find all three of these notes. *The letters in the parenthesis next to the numbers indicate which note is created. *Notice that C, E, & G are included in this triad.


--
--
-0- (g)
-2- (e)
-3- (c)
---

While this is a good start, you will rarely see this chord in a song. *More often you will see this:

-0- (e)
-1- (c)
-0- (g)
-2- (e)
-3- (c)
----

What people do is just use more strings, but the same notes. *Notice that this bigger chord has no new notes in it, it just has two different strings playing C and E. *That's ok too. *As long as you've got your Root, 3rd and 5th, you'll be fine. * *You can find these chords elsewhere also. *But as long as they all have a C,E, G they're all C Major Triads. *This of course works for any key (A-G) so try some of your own. *A final word of advice: *Many teachers will tell you this is a rule (remember there are no rules in theory, just suggestions), but it's usually more listenable if you make the lowest pitch in the triad the root note.

As an example, let's build an E major triad.
E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E
so E, G#, B make up a E Major triad.

-0 (e)
-0 (b)
-1 (g#)
-2 (e)
-2 (b)
-0 (e)

OK, class dismissed! *PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

[tomizm]

Although I have a decent grasp on this information already, I still find myself reading it like Im just learning for the first time.
This stuff is very well written and understandable.
I appreciate all the effort you're putting into this. *I really look forward to getting into areas I dont understand.

[jem7vwh]

No problem. *I'm glad you're enjoying it

[Carlo]

Thanks dude! I could always use a good refresher's course

[kirk]

I think it's great for me too. *I knwo how to do this, but I do not know how to explain or identify it. *I'd have just called it a power chord and left it at that. *Major Triad makes me sound technically proficient!

[Jimi D]

These are a lot of fun j7vwh! Great refresher! It's been so long since I've put any real thought/effort into my theory that I'm sure you'll have me scratching my brain soon :loco:

[jemsite]

[Ekim]

You know I was figuring this stuff out on my own, trying to figure out what the first, "main" chords were from a theory POV. Actually, Modern Drummer is doing a series similar to the intent of these tutorials, and I've been checking them out. When I first started learning this stuff, I asked a friend what these main chords were, and he told me that they're just called "(note) chords" and that they don't really have an explanation. Of course, he couldn't explain what a mode was either.

What I'm saying in a babbling-roundabout manner is these lessons rock! (and they're free!)

[EdE]

First of all I must tell you, these rock. I can play but really dont understand the theory behind it. My question major triad question is, do the root, 3rd, and 5th need to be in that order as long as it is just those? Or can the order be changed as long as it contains root, 3rd, and 5th? I am just a little confused.
Thanks a bunch!!

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by EdE

First of all I must tell you, these rock. I can play but really dont understand the theory behind it. My question major triad question is, do the root, 3rd, and 5th need to be in that order as long as it is just those? Or can the order be changed as long as it contains root, 3rd, and 5th? I am just a little confused.
Thanks a bunch!!

no, they don't need to be in that order- if they are the same notes, but out of order, it's called an inversion (ie EGC is the C major chord in it's ________ inversion (I can never keep them straight: it's either first or second)).

It's not about the order, it's about the notes.
Make sense?

[Ekim]

Quick Inversion question: Say someone's playing a E chord but you play an inversion to accompany it. Is that "legal" in theory terms? I would think so, but sometimes things that make sense "in theory" don't work in the real world. Just wondering.

[Artist]

of course it "works".

A technique often used is to invert the chord by having a bass instrument play the inversion note. E.g. guitar plays open position E major, bass plays B.

Remember, in orchestral pieces, chords are often made up between a huge number of instruments, and the inversion made by the lowest note being played (e.g. double bass)

[sirnothingness]

If you want to better understand inversions, you might try playing the notes on a piano and moving the right up the keys. Listen to the sounds.

Just something I've done that kinda help.

[jim777]

Lesson 3