How to Use Triads on the Guitar
- 1). Familiarize yourself with as many triads as possible. Any possible three-note chord is technically a triad, but instead of inventing random triads, try playing any three notes of any major, minor, seventh, sixth, augmented and diminished chords that you know. The more different fingerings that you can memorize, the better prepared you will be to use triads in your guitar playing.
- 2). Play rhythm parts using three-note power chords instead of major and minor chords. A power chord is a triad made up of the root, fifth and octave of any particular note. This type of triad does not include a third, so it doesn't sound inherently major or minor. This technique can help you break out of major and minor chord ruts. Power chords are commonly used in rock and roll (particularly in alternative and punk rock).
- 3). Play major, minor, diminished and augmented triads in place of common chords when a particular passage begins to sound cluttered and muddy. Because fewer notes are being played in a triad, it can help clear up this problem. Reggae, ska and funk often use this technique, specifically emphasizing triads played on up beats.
- 4). Follow the chord progression while soloing. Playing the notes of a specific triad in succession over top of a rhythm part using the same chords in a lower register is a time tested soloing technique. These notes can be allowed to ring into each other or played as staccato notes. Try connecting chords using different forms of triads. This is where knowing as many different triad fingerings as possible will help you immensely.
- 5). Harmonize single-note guitar riffs in triads. This technique works particularly well if you have three guitarists, each of whom can play one note of the triad. Using triads in this way is common in heavy metal music.
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