Guitar Fretboard Study #1: Diatonic Triads

[@vltjd]

Nicely done. Haven't seen anyone else explain this so well on KZbin.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks you, I really appreciate that! Glad you're enjoying the content here!

[@chunkwobbler2544]

I looked up your name in the Definitionary and it states as follows: Chris Sherland - Someone who uncomplicates the seemingly impossible to uncomplicate.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks mate, that means a lot to me.

[@chapter-saulo]

You are an outstanding teacher.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thank you Saulo!

[@Dave-gf3kd]

You have made me a “curious” guitarist.....I just wish I was a smarter one!!!!! LOL..... Great work and keep it up!

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha! Love it Dustin! No reason to stop now!

[@SyntagmaStation]

Love that you teach in the same key most every time, and you play clean. (Nothing worse than a lesson in high gain.) I always thought about chords in a key as what would happen if you play a major scale with triads instead of single notes, whether as chords or arpeggios.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks Area Man, glad this one resonates! I'm going to make this a series of deep dives into subjects that expose how fantastic the fretboard is.

[@mr5039]

Very interesting Chris. This is something I have been dabbling in almost by accident. I’ve been trying to play as many cord variations as possible without changing locations. Practicing this has opened my eyes to what’s available but also created a whole new list of questions 😂

[@curiousguitarist]

Just keep you're curiosity bucket full, and you'll never run out of good questions!

[@eclipticom]

Thanks Chris! This is pretty useful how to harmonize using triad in the same position. It's a neat trick to use inversion when you are moving from 4 to 5. I like that, instead of just moving up using parallel voicing as I used to do it until now.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yes! Parallel voicings work great, but being able to use inversions close by deepens the voice leading options, and that creates interesting and more subtle solutions.

[@Jake66564]

All the triads and intervals have changed the instrument for me! Great lesson as always Chris

[@curiousguitarist]

Great to hear! Thanks for being here Jake!

[@lazarustawonezvi9592]

This lesson is exactly what I was looking for in my guitar playing journey. Thanks Chris.

[@curiousguitarist]

Wow, that's great Lazarus! Glad you found it!!

[@meamsitorn]

I was trying to figure out this this morning, guitar is better than Sudoku! Great lesson as allways.

[@curiousguitarist]

I love that metaphor Mateu! Glad you're here!

[@matteopugnaloni6338]

Very precious lesson, thank you Chris!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Matteo! Thanks for the view.

[@miles_tones8970]

Thanks for helping me unlock the fretboard Chris!

[@curiousguitarist]

Happy to help Miles...glad you're here.

[@jonpace8369]

What a great and efficient explanation. Every time I hit a wall while practicing I just watch a Chris Sherland video.

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha!! Thanks Jon, it’s great to know these are inspiring. Thanks for your support!

[@Roots222]

Great lesson. Thanks Chris. I had it till the last bit and then my head exploded.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thats how it always is when you're in the "big learning" state. It's like: "Oh wow, I get it!" 'Wait what was that again?"

[@splashesin8]

This one automatically came up in the rotation after I listened to the most recent and they go well together❣️💫

[@bazilbrushrocks]

Fantastic! I really enjoy how you continue to expand an idea, taking something I’m already familiar with into new area.

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad you enjoyed it Brazil!

[@utku_bambu]

gave me goosebumps, beautiful

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha! Love it!!

[@shynickel8239]

Wow,a whole new world of understanding

[@curiousguitarist]

So glad to hear that, Shy!

[@jeffhalfordguitar5056]

Excellent exercise. Me: Mentally exhausted, but enlightened. Had to move to the key of C the get my bearings, but now can transpose the harmonised scale in a single position throughout. Will now see what extending the triads will bring....

[@curiousguitarist]

Beautiful, Jeff, just right! Glad this was helpful.

[@mateos4685]

Thank you for demonstrating the concept in the key of A ! It is much easier to understand the idea and apply it in different keys...many thanks for all the efforts! you are the best!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks M, glad it's helpful! Imagine trying to incorporate new info in C#!!!!! 😫

[@simonhernandez3561]

Very encouraging Discovery

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad to hear it, Simon.

[@markgoodwin5306]

You can practice little triad sweeps too, which is fun

[@stanolivo3658]

You are blowing my mind ! Thank you.

[@curiousguitarist]

Blowing Minds would be my highest purpose here on earth, you are welcome, Stan, and thank YOU!

[@douglasbroccone3144]

I don’t know exactly what you taught just then but I know it’s worth learning

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha! Yes this lesson is a touch "advanced" and largely is meant to expose how the notes for EVERY chord in a key are already right under your fingers, rather than feeling like you have to move to a different part of the neck if you want to play a specific chord. Hope you enjoyed it...it is a little dense though!

[@SketchEtcher]

All chords in a scale are derived solely from notes within the scale itself, so in a single octave of a diatonic scale we can make all 7 diatonic chords. There are 2 octaves between low and high E, so we should have enough notes in a box pattern (4 frets, one for each finger) to make a harmonious triad. I don’t know how to do it though LOL. I know there is more than one way, especially if you use an extra fret or two. I’m gonna try mapping it out, but some diagrams would be helpful… :-)

[@curiousguitarist]

It does take a bit of work but it is so worth it to discover it, be the musical archeologist! There are TABs on Patreon if you must have them though!

[@tone-glide2402]

Once again!! Another angle to get us closer to mastering!

[@curiousguitarist]

So glad to be here offering this stuff. Glad you're here too Tone - Glide ~

[@graftonbailey3307]

Ive had people try to explain this stuff to me before things tend to go grey and become blah blah blah, starting to think I was thick!! I can feel the cogs turning upstairs cant wait to get home and work through this. 👍👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad I could help, the fretboard is a fabulous canvas...it inspires me whenever I look at it.

[@rocktoya]

Simple but powerful stuff. We rarely think like this. Thanks!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Santiago!

[@jamesm7417]

Another great lesson on triads, Chris. I started exploring and ended up hopping between string sets afterward. Lots of efficiencies to be found there too. Powerful stuff. Been in Eb tuning for most of that. Jumping from Fminor on 123 to Ab major on 234 is my kinda chord change. Would love to see a lesson about techniques for changing string sets ...whenever you want to do another one on triads. Love how compact and ‘learnable’ they are.

[@curiousguitarist]

Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion! It’s great to hear these are working for you James.

[@mikshawyer5138]

Three videos in and look at me understanding a little smidge of theory, now I’m hungry for more, thank you for making sense, happily subscribed 👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Mik, thanks so much for the sub. hey, stick around a while and who knows, you could become an expert!! :)

[@mikshawyer5138]

@@curiousguitarist I’m addicted, you should do this as a job 😉 Thank you for sharing your amazing knowledge and experience on here, you make sense to me on theory which after 30 odd years of playing by ear is a rarity 👍

[@timsellsted521]

Thanks so much @chrissherland. Another great lesson!

[@curiousguitarist]

Of course Tim! Thanks so much for being here and all your input and support.

[@LuckyNumberKevin]

You are so knowledgeable and teach in such an easy to understand way! If i could give you 1 piece of advice, your voice is a little low compared to the guitar in most of your videos which causes me to turn my volume too high (and prevents me from watching these videos late at night). Even so, you are a very good teacher. Thank you for your content.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll adjust the balance. Glad you’re here, Kevin.

[@keithburnett-i7f]

Watched this & it’s got a hook in me! SUBSCRIBED 🤩

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks so much Keith!

[@EclecticEssentric]

Inspirational gold! Thank you muchly.

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad it was helpful Timmy, thanks for the comment.

[@paulbowman2340]

Hey Chris, would love too see you and Adam Neely doing one of his “Q and As”. With a couple of questions thrown in about the arbitrary question of what’s the better instrument, Bass or Guitar and as you may listen, he doubles down why a Bass is better. your defo the best informative guitar instructor Tim Pierce a worthy 2nd. Me thinks you and Adam would make great content

[@curiousguitarist]

I love Adam's stuff...he's inspiring for sure!

[@charleys2905]

Things just got real, the notebook and guitar are out at the same time.

[@curiousguitarist]

Oh you KNOW it's going down right when there's a pencil involved too!

[@mateobartlett]

I love it. Peace my brother.

[@curiousguitarist]

Peace back to you good sir! Thanks for being here, Mateo!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci.

[@Itsme-vd3dx]

Thankt you for the lesson. Subscribed =)

[@curiousguitarist]

And thanks for the sub!!

[@denismguitar1552]

Ok, mind blown!🤯.

[@curiousguitarist]

I knew I'd get you one of these days Denis!!! 🤯

[@blindponyband]

Chris, is there a reason you did not "show" the third inversion diatonic triads in A in the example at the beginning starting from our familiar A chord at the second fret? I did those diatonic triads myself in between the first four frets and the G# diminished is the only chord I did two notes on a string...a little clunky...maybe that's why you didn't show all the diatonic triads in A in that position?

[@curiousguitarist]

Have to leave SOMETHING for a curious guitarist to discover.

[@blindponyband]

@@curiousguitarist Hahahaha! Word up!

[@joelstephenson8017]

Nice!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks Joel!

[@roybatty6328]

All right. I got it.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yes!!

[@brette]

Awesome, now do it the circle of 5ths:)

[@curiousguitarist]

EXACTLY!!!!

[@vinfreeman1602]

👍

[@chadharland3688]

The one thing I don't understand is why some chords are parallel an others chords aren't..I guess I am not here yet. Wish I could back track to understand more but don't know where to go.

[@curiousguitarist]

Hey Chad. Think of parallel in this instance as each of the notes of the first chord, move in the same direction and by the same core interval to the next chord. Whereas when chords move in a non-parallel manner, some notes may stay the same while others move. I hope this helps, Chad!!!! Reply with a time stamp if there's a moment that's not clear in the video!

[@chadharland3688]

@@curiousguitarist quick reply thank you so much

[@rogeryoung2049]

What type of guitar are you using in this video

[@curiousguitarist]

This is an Othon stone top guitar. I really love it, it's a high quality instrument with a beautiful aesthetic. othonart.com/stone-glass-guitars/

[@blindponyband]

Great lesson. I'm not sure at the end what you mean by "scoot to the next scale tone" and how would "scooting" be useful when soloing? Also, how would you suggest practicing this to get maximum benefit in terms of knowledge of the fretboard and being able to use triads and all scale tones in solos and comping? Going through the pattern in every key? Around COF?

[@curiousguitarist]

Yup, exactly. Scooting just relates to the fact that when you "turn around" at the top or bottom, instead of always ascending, you get the benefit of a neighbor tone right there. Beyond useful...critical, crucial, canntolivewithout type of stuff for me when soloing.

[@blindponyband]

@@curiousguitarist By "neighbor tone" you mean any tone in the scale, not necessarily the next tone up the major scale? So, you are saying if you arpeggiate the chords of the scale in order but do so by "turning around" your hand will be close to SOME note of the scale, but not necessarily the next note up (or down), like when you go from the B chord played on two strings to the C# minor, the "nearest neighbor" note is actually the E on the B string.

[@blindponyband]

ps, how is it critical, useful stuff when soloing? I can tell that is true, but I can't tell how to employ it myself when soloing, say in the key of A

[@curiousguitarist]

@@blindponyband Just keep trying it. The neighbor tones allow you to control the voiceleading...it's not a specific science, it's about practice and using it over and over to find cool ways to take advantage of how close everything is.

[@blindponyband]

@@curiousguitarist thanks Chris...so, to practice it, would I at first just go over and over the harmonized scale around the COF with triads ascending and descending in between three frets in the three triad positions...I noticed in the video, you only did the root position triad and the first inversion in the example, not the second inversion...

[@splashesin8]

😊

[@RaySchwanenberger]

Curious and definitely confused! I am going to need to watch this many times and hopefully my 65 year old brain will get it.

[@curiousguitarist]

I think it will. Let me know if it doesn't click and I can help.

[@RaySchwanenberger]

@@curiousguitarist I have watched again and now understand the parallel/non-parallel idea. Still sorting out the arpeggio parts.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@RaySchwanenberger keep in mind that there are two arpeggios that use two-notes-per-string in the example. The Bm and the G#dim

[@RaySchwanenberger]

@@curiousguitarist I have now watched from the 8:00 minute mark on several times. The arpeggios for the Bm and G#dim are not actually the triad shapes but using the same notes of the triad on a different string and fret, correct? I can also see that I must become much more proficient in knowing the notes on the fret board to sus out the triads in one area of the fret board. I do think it is becoming more clear. Thanks.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@RaySchwanenberger exactly! However, possibly more important than knowing the notes on the fretboard in this instance is being able to build the intervals of a chord. So the Bm and G#dim become more a product of chord building technique than knowing what notes the chord spells specifically. I hope that isn't more confusing!!!!

[@michaelgreen5206]

When you get a chance please checkout (KZbin) a band once played in. Name of band is Elnora & Sumpthin' Cookin' , am playing drums 🥁.

[@joelstephenson8017]

Hey! There's a link in the comments that is potentially dangerous that you can remove. Just giving you a heads up.

[@curiousguitarist]

Done, thanks!

[@joelstephenson8017]

@@curiousguitarist no prob!

[@frankm2588]

Totally lost me here, except for knowing the triads on DGB strings, rest if it, no. And the PDF did not clear anything up. The PDF didn't line up with the chord voicings being played.

[@curiousguitarist]

Sorry Frank, where do you get lost? Tell me where you fall off and I can help.

[@frankm2588]

@@curiousguitarist Fine up to around 4:19 or so. “Parallel voicing,” don’t know what that is. 4:52, “if I make this choice instead…didn’t do it on purpose.” What? “Now the voice leading goes like this…,” don’t get that. 5 to 5:40-no idea. I get the middle string triads after that, all A’s. At 6:30, fine, that’s an A triad. But at 6:32, the voicing of the Bm, you show only 2 fingers fretting. On the PDF the upper tab, the Bm is shown as 7-7-4 when shouldn’t it be 7-7-9. On the lower tab of the PDF, “starting on 1st inversion.” Why would you want to play that far up the neck. There are 3 forms of majors 3 forms of minors on the DGB strings, right? Why not just play them starting on the 7-6-5 voicing of the A. Also don’t know what you’re doing at 7:19 and after and why that’s more efficient than just playing, as above, triads starting at the 7th fret as in the top tab of the PDF. I also don’t get, around 9, what is the deal about the arpeggios sounding the same and that being efficient, what that does for you.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@frankm2588 1) Parallel voice leading is explained at 4:22 2) 4:52 Frank, you can totally get this...watch it again and listen to me explain it. 3) 5 - 5:40 I'm playing the notes in each chord and comparing them against the version with both chords as root on the E string Barre chords and then again with the A as a root on the E string and the B minor as root on the A string. Watch it again. 4) 6:32 B minor is 7-7-9 and the 7th fret is barred with the index finger 5) B minor can be voiced like this: 7-7-9 on the B-G-D strings, or 7-7-4 on the B-G-G string with two notes per string as an arpeggio as I explain. 6) 7:19 is a C# minor chord on the D-G-B strings. 7) When the voices for the chords begin to incorporate multiple common tones, the voicings start to sound similar. can you hear it? What it does for you is efficiency, it does nothing else at all. Hope this helps. Reach out to me on Patreon if you're still confused Frank. -Chris

[@EclecticEssentric]

@@curiousguitarist Thanks for the index time on parallel. I kind of figured that's what it meant but I had a sliver of doubt. All clear now! And thank you for helping this guy. You're a real good teacher.

[@talltodd]

🤷‍♂️

[@curiousguitarist]

Anything worth learning requires sustained effort over time. You WILL get this, Todd. If you put in the time.

[@dimitrys.2494]

How is this not very musical? Aren't the first four chords, the chords for boys don't cry from the cure?

[@curiousguitarist]

I meant that it’s really designed as more of an exercise rather than a musical application.

[@dimitrys.2494]

@@curiousguitarist love it! The exercise! And because it's relatable to some song i like I'll enjoy this so much more. So thank you!

[@curiousguitarist]

@@dimitrys.2494 yup, that’s like the super-bonus! When you can combine knowledge, skill building, and art all together then you cannot lose. Thanks for being engaged here!

[@michaelgreen5206]

Hey Chris, isn't this an oxymoron? Kidding, of course.

[@curiousguitarist]

🤔 which part? I'm a sucker for a good oxymoron...missed the referance!

[@michaelgreen5206]

@@curiousguitarist how about some jumbo shrimp. The oxymoron reference to this lesson is about playing two notes (diatonic) but when triad is mentioned this is three notes...so for me it's an oxymoron. Once take the lesson will understand it better.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@michaelgreen5206 doh! Of course!!

[@michaelgreen5206]

@@curiousguitarist it's a bad attempt at humor at best but won't stop me from being silly.