Guitar Lesson: Major Triads in C on Strings 234 | Los Angeles or Skype Guitar Lessons with Vreny

Major Triads In C on Strings 234

This is a continuation from last week’s free lesson blog, which you can check here: Major Triads in C on strings 123

C Triads

c-triads-on-234

Learn the C chords first.

The 10/9/8 shape (10th fret, 9th fret, 8th fret) is what you call “root position”. The notes from low to high are C E G (root, 3rd, 5th). Whenever you play that shape on these 3 strings, you play a major chord with the root as the lowest note.
The 2/0/1 shape (2nd fret, open G string, 1st fret) is what you call “1st inversion”. The notes from low to high are E G C (3rd, 5th, root). Whenever you play that shape on these 3 strings, you play a major chord with the 3rd as the lowest note. Also, play this inversion up 12 frets on frets 14/12/13
The 555 shape (5th fret, 5th fret, 5th fret) is what you call “2nd inversion”. The notes from low to high are G C E (5th, root, 3rd). When you play Whenever you play that shape on these 3 strings, you play a major chord with the 5th as the lowest note.

There is a trick to speed up your memorization of the location of the 3 shapes. The trick is to focus on the notes, on the lowest of the 3 strings, in this case, the D string, and then play the right shape on that note. The notes you are looking for (for a C chord) are C, E, and G.

C is on the 10th fret of the D string
E is on the 14th/2nd fret on the D string
G is on the 5th fret on the D string.

When you’re on the root C, you play the 10/9/8 shape, if you’re on the 3rd E, you play the 14/12/13 (2/0/1) shape, if you’re on the 5th G, you play the 555 shape. The more you think notes rather than just only shapes, the better for your musicianship.
Focusing on these 3 notes on the D string only, helps you memorize the location of each C chord shape.

Play these 3 C chord shapes up and down the neck till you feel pretty confident you have them memorized.
Then move on to learning and memorizing the F shapes.
You’ll notice, it’s the same 3 shapes, just in different locations.

F Triads

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The notes in an F chord are F, A, and C
These are the 3 notes you’re focusing on on the D string.
You play the root shape on F on the 3rd fret on the D string
You play the first inversion (3rd in the bass) shape on A on the 7th fret on the D string
You play the 2nd inversion (5th in the bass) shape on C on the 10th fret on the D string

Once you get all the F chords memorized: go up the neck with C chords and down the neck with F chords.
When you can do this pretty daily: learn the G chords.
G chords are easy if you know the F chords really well. The G chords are the 3 F chords up 2 frets.

G Triads

g-triads-on-234

When you get the G chords down, go up with C chords and down with G chords.

Once you feel you get all C, F, and G chords down pretty well on these 3 strings, you are ready for the next exercise.
Practice these chords over a 12-bar blues in C

C F C C
F F C C
G F C G

Here’s what you do:

In bar 1: play 2 different C chords, 2 beats each, downstrokes only.
In bar 2: play 2 different F chords, 2 beats each, downstrokes only.
In bar 3: play 2 different C chords, 2 beats each, downstrokes only.
In bar 3: play 2 different C chords, 2 beats each, downstrokes only.
In bar 5: play 2 different F chords, 2 beats each, downstrokes only.
In bar 6: play 2 different F chords, 2 beats each, downstrokes only.
… and so on.

This is going to be challenging at first, but this is a good drill to really nail down these chords.
When you can do this pretty well, start practicing it with a metronome.
Work it up to 145bpm.
When you can play this exercise at that tempo, you don’t have to think anymore: you really have your C, F, and G triads memorized.

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you would like me to send you backing tracks of the above chord progression, if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.
You’re on your way to becoming a great guitar player.
Have fun! 🙂

Conclusion

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.

These free lessons are cool, but you will never experience the progress, joy, and results that my students experience in lessons when you’re learning by yourself from blogs and videos.

That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.

If you want to see amazing results and progress in your guitar playing, buy your first lesson here and get started ASAP.