How to Play Triad Shapes in Pattern One Major Scale

What are Triads?

This lesson is about how to play triad shapes in pattern one of the major scale. Click here to learn pattern one of the major scale. Triads are groups of 3 different notes.

You can find the 3 different notes you need by starting on one note and skipping the next, then landing on the third note, skipping the fourth note, and finishing on the fifth note.

This is also the same as playing the 1, 3, and 5 of the notes you are on. After this do the same for the following note of the scale you are in, the third note, and so on.

You can play these three notes altogether as a chord (major, minor, etc.) or separately as in arpeggio form. This lesson involves separate notes. Some strings will have two notes on them and a third note on a separate string making them not playable as a chord.

Triad Order

The order or sequence of the harmony of the triads starts with major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, and diminished.

Of course, you can start anywhere in the sequence and go in any direction.

Knowing this order of the triads is a way of learning them. It is also useful for knowing the order because it is the same sequence of the chords in the major scale.

Triad Shapes in Pattern One of the Major Scale

Starting on the lowest note of the pattern I will start on F# diminished triad shape proceeding to G major and so on throughout the major scale pattern.

Remember once you finish the sequence it just starts over.

Triad Roots on the Sixth String

F# Diminished Triad
F# Diminished Triad
G Major Triad
A Minor
A Minor

Triad Roots on the 5th String

B Minor
B Minor
C Major
C Major
D Major

Triad Roots on the 4th String

E Minor
E Minor
F# Minor b5
F# Minor b5
G Major
G Major

Triad Roots on the Third String

A Minor
A Minor
B Minor
B Minor
C Major
C Major

Triad Roots on the Second String

D Major
D Major

How To Practice

-Practice each triad shape starting on the root and proceed to string two (D major) and back down.

-Reverse this and play from the top down.

-Practice going up one triad shape and back down the next.

-Practice rhythmically using triplets.

-Take each triad shape and move it up and down the fretboard as in learning barre chords or any other moveable chord shape.

-Since these triad shapes are in the key of G, find a YouTube backing track to play over (G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor, or F#mb5 are a few backing track keys to practice in).

Other Patterns

I may include the other 4 major scale patterns for triad shapes later. For now, memorize the shapes from the major scale pattern one.

Until next time, have fun practicing!