Jazz Guitar Chords: 3 to 7 Triads

[m78w]

Hey Everyone,
Just posted a new lesson that I thought I'd pass along, where I outline how to use simple Major, Minor and Diminished triads, starting on the 3rd of each chord, to spice up your 2-5-1 (major and minor) comping. Check it out, hope you dig it!

Jazz Guitar Chords: 3 to 7 Triads | MattWarnockGuitar.com

[Kman]

More good material. I love the sound of just two or three notes in any combination of 1,3,5,7 and practicing arpeggios or little licks in 3rds or 6ths. It's amazing how just two notes have as big effect.

I noticed on the G7 you have the b9 instead on the 3rd. Is that intential?

[m78w]

Thanks, yeah I like the voiceleading that the b9 gives when you run it from the 5 in the ii chord, to the b9 in the V chord to the 5 in the tonic chord, nice little chromatic line in the comping.

[m78w]

I just added this paragraph to clear up any confusion with the b9:

"In the examples below I have used an extension of the B Diminished triad (starting on D to produce D-F-Ab), adding in the b9 of the G7 chord (Ab) for an extra dose of voice leading, notice how the A on Dm7 flows downward to the Ab in G7 and then resolves to the G in Cmaj7, and similarly in the Minor key examples below. Feel free to use either or Diminished triad in your comping, B Diminished or D Diminished, or both to add more voice leading options to your accompaniment."

[brwnhornet59]

Right on Matt! I am going there right now. Thanx Brother. It is always nice seeing your lessons. =)

[m78w]

Cool, hope you dig it!

[brwnhornet59]

I am digging it! I found that by playing the II & I triads starting from the 7th and the V & VI from the 3rd gives a great centralized sound and movement.

I am digging this Matt!

[m78w]

yeah, it seems like such a small idea, but it really opens up your playing, without learning anything beyond a few triad shapes on the guitar!

[elinfoot]

Hi! Just a quick question. At the start of your lesson you have Dm7 G7 CMaj7 and A7. in the key of C. Why is the A chord dominant rather than minor?

[m78w]

Hey Elinfoot:

The A is a dominant chord because it is the V7 of Dm7, the iim7 chord. So that chord is used to "turn around" the 2-5-1 back to the 2, making it kind of a never ending progression.

You could use Am7 if you wanted to, but then it wouldn't be resolving back to the 2 chord, hope that helps!

[brwnhornet59]

Matt, i am so glad that you posted this. I am playing the patterns at certain fixed places, mixing them up a little and also throwing the 4 note chords in as well. What it is really helping me do these past 15 mins i see it all over the neck better than usual. THANX!!!!

[m78w]

thanks man, glad the lesson is paying off, simple things lead to big developments in our playing more often than not!

[NSJ]

Excellent lesson! I've been working with triads with my teacher, and he thinks they're MASSIVELY important-absolutely integral in terms of "mapping" out the fingerboard. Been practicing cementing knowledge of learning triads and inversions in all string sets, all over the fingerboard--then moving the 5th up chromatically in each inversion (+5, M6, 7, M7)--then flattening the 3rd in each triad inversion and doing the same (m6, m7, Mm7) etc.

BTW--eu nao entendu--seems you've swapped "corn country" for Brasil Nice.

[m78w]

Cool, glad you liked the lesson, triads are a big part of my playing and teaching, I actually start my students with them a lot of the times, rather than with scales etc. I wrote out a bunch of my favorite triad fingerings, both harmonic and melodic, on the site as well, you can check them out at:

Triads | MattWarnockGuitar.com

and yep, moved to Brazil last month, lots of gigs here and teaching work, and the weather ain't bad either...

[brwnhornet59]

LOL, it's funny. I started out brushing up on triads and ended up brushing up on 1 3 5 7 breakdowns afterwards. All four positions with all of their break downs, M7, Dom7, m7, m7b5, Dim . I started with a CM7/G, 3rd fret and moved on octave to octave. I did the same thing with FM7/C, 3rd fret. Great stuff and oh what fun.

Then i worked on your open triad voicing's. Some really big stretch's in there!

[m78w]

Very cool! Yeah it is amazing how crazy a simple triad can get when you start adding stretches and string skips, a lifetime of work for three notes!

[brwnhornet59]

Indeed! But i am failing you in the described study that you asked. I need to get busy. I have spent the past two hours working on picking, 3 string half sweeps, 4 string half sweeps, then in reverse and mixing the lines together. My head is swimming!!!!

[m78w]

No worries, lots to learn so just take one thing, groove on it for a while, when you feel ready move on.