Chris: You were born to teach: we're lucky to have you leading us through the maze of the fretboard and music theory in the most clear and concise way possible.
One of the best guitar lessons on arpeggios on the entire internet! I've played guitar for over 13 years and seeing the arpeggios compared to the piano has always been the challenge since the guitar isn't as "linear" as a piano. Thanks for breaking it down by doing 3 strings at a time. When you do that, they're actually pretty simple and much easier to visualize during soloing because they're just part of a basic barre chord starting from the low e string.
I cannot thank you enough Chris for what your lessons have done for me. The various triad lessons you have here have been the golden key for me to finally decipher the fretboard. The old barre chord shapes and scale patterns that I once brainlessly memorized… I’m now visualizing them as a scaffolding to build new triad and 4-note chords! Every day as a practice/study routine, I now make it a point to strum a Major barre chord while naming it orally, then pluck each string and name each note, then repeat while naming each interval. I will also play a Major scale, singing along with note names, and again as intervals. Next, I strum the chord a a minor barre, again naming the chord, then arpeggiating while naming each note and interval. Next, I start breaking apart the Major barre chord into it’s triad components, again naming the notes and intervals, followed by “asssembling” minor/diminished/augmented versions, then throwing in the 7th degree. Once I get all that firmly established, I plan on expanding into extended chords etc. Your UA-cam channel has convinced me to re-program myself, to get my chord knowledge and chord-building chops down cold on the fretboard. My goal is always KNOW and UNDERSTAND exactly what is happening under my fingertips, vs mindlessly slapping a barre shape/scale pattern onto the neck by rote. Or, as you simply put it, STAYING AWAKE!
I recently committed to this journey after decades of thinking I could be a good player without the effort of learning the fretboard. With your help and my dedication I have shattered the plateau I was stuck in for years.
@@curiousguitarist you’re welcome! Last night I had epiphany after epiphany. I was hearing what I wanted next and I was able to find it in a way that never happened before. It honestly felt like I truly connected with my guitar for the first time. You are my guide. 🙏 I’m 60 now and breaking down but the future is bright because I can see my dream coming true.
I liked learning riffs when I was young but they get old after a while and it leaves more questions than answers.You have a gift for explaining the things everyone should be starting with, before they learn songs. Students should start here and then learn songs on their own, if their not committed to theory they won't stay with it after learning a few riffs,because they will get frustrated and quit.I wish I would have had someone like yourself back then to teach me.All the guy's I knew that could really get down wouldn't take time and explain things.
@@ericchin739 exactly! If you ever want to talk to actual musicians, who may not have happened to choose guitar as their instrument, the only way to make sense to them will be speaking this way. Thanks for your comments!
@Chris Sherland Guitar Agreed!! It's just WAYY easier to visualize. Plus, when you call out an interval... I have two or three different notes to choose from. When frets are called out, I have to stop, imagine which interval that is in my head, and then continue. Very distracting! I'm new to your channel, and appreciate the practice you inspired me to do this weekend!!
Right, I know this is an older video. But the information is new to me. From this 10 min video and your explanation, I've been able to track all the triads from D major all over the neck. I know there was a reason they added the 'mindblown' emoji. And it was for this moment. Thank you, Sir 🙏 🤯🤯🤯 🙏
Great lesson Chris. I particularly loved the mechanism for moving up and down the stringsets. The point about octaves snapped things into focus for me. The way I 've been learning the triads previously is horizontally and knowing which shape is which inversion, then mapping/positioning the shapes via the root note of each inversion as I move along a three-string set. I'm going to work through the method you show here too for completeness. Thanks!
Glad to hear it, Douglas. Once you get this info on the neck, then surround it with the major scale, you can never UN-see it, the fretboard will make more and more sense.
I am really loving your lessons, I’ve wanted/ needed to learn triads for years but could never seem to kick start that journey, you have got me interested to the point of exited because each step seems to unlock another! so thanks again, Howard🙏
Chris another great video...48yo, only been self teaching for a little over a year now, started with the blues....So glad i learned CAGED first, as hard as it was to wrap my head around, but makes many things alot easier to learn imo... these Triads are easy to find now, and relate them to something...on the top 3 strings i knew the E shape, connects to the D, then A, but the way you explained how by moving the notes to the next 1 becomes 3, 3 becomes 5....omg light bulb moment...just another way to connect a shape to as little as a note....nice job i know so much and still think i sound like garbage...lol my wife has MS so in bed by 630, 7pm...so i usually practice about 3-4 hrs a night....things are starting to come together mentally but feel like i still cannot make music like i want..always enjoy more options, as you continue to open the fretboard..tnx man, sincerely, Frustrated in NY :)
Grab any progression you already know, and start applying these triads to it as improvisational tools and it'll get really musical really fast. I'm so glad to be getting you helpful info! Happy you're here.
@@curiousguitarist thanks man...just watched woodshed nailing triads practice...im going to give that a go...as well as your harmonizing scales...unreal how everything starts fitting together...so i figure the practice of the circle of 5ths, and the harmonizing will 2 fold get me used to where they are, and 2 get me more looking for the notes they are anchored to...to start developing more harmony or at least see where my options are around the chords im playing... Tnx for the help...enjoy listening and learning...just cant get enough theory but i do when ive waded into the deep end by mistake....ill get it ill get it....too hard headed and goal driven to give up..lol
Thanx for the Christmas gift ! I love the way you look at the fretboard. You always seem to point out a important relationship I hadn't noticed that helps make sense of this nonsensical instrument ;-)
Great lesson Chris. I've been working with my guitar teacher on this very concept over the last year (except it's in the Key of C). Incorporating these ideas into my practice routine has been challenging due to two factors: 1. learning/practicing the triads horizontally/vertically over all 6 strings. 2. working my way around the circle of 5ths in every key. Would you recommend a student focus on more guitar friendly/frequently used keys when trying to incorporate this into their practice routine (and if so, what keys would be more guitar friendly)? I ask because realistically speaking, I only have about 1/2 hr per day to practice the instrument and work on ear training. So, I really have to be strategic in my approach to learning the instrument and balancing that with playing pieces/songs I enjoy. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Chris! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! :)
Hey John, I’d suggest using the entire circle of fifths and practice that until you can get around the circle in 3-5 minutes. But ultimately if your constraint is time you’ll have to choose a good balance of work and play. These kinds of questions really get to the core of what kind of progress you want to make. Do you want to understand the instrument? If so, then dedicate the time to that effort. But if you need the instrument as a relaxation method maybe it’s not time to study it methodically...?
@@curiousguitarist This is why I use the Circle of 1sts,.... ha,.... but excellent different way to look at the relationship of triads on the neck,.... its great when someone explains guitar in a way that makes you go, "Oh,.... thats a good way to look at it".. me likey and I appreciate
Learning guitar is helping with memory loss. This vid is great and I'll definitely download the tablature. Thanks for your sharing. Thank Marty as well.
I have decided to dedicate this month to nailing these triads, playing all three tones together then plucking the root (in a way to try to remember where the root lies for each shape!) so that I can better understand what's going on :) and work out the minor patterns in the future. So far, GBE strings have been conquered (to the extent that my fingers fall naturally into the shapes and correct fret position) going up and down. I have been practising moving across the lower strings too, I can just about remember the positions but am yet to work out the finger transitions, these are still a bit clunky but I'm sure I'll get there soon! An important foundation to understanding the fretboard, so that's why I'm challenging myself to learn these! Thanks again, Chris, for the lesson!
The process for chaining the inversions across strings by keeping two notes in common and moving the top note down an octave is a great way to think about it. The other thing that occurred to me is that there are only three basic shapes (root position, first inversion, and second inversion). Once you can play these across the bottom four strings, you can adapt them for the top four strings by remembering to adjust for the 4th to 3rd tuning shift between the g and b strings.
Awesome stuff. Thank you. Some times a pick a set of chords used by a favorite song (4), the see if I can play them all on the first three strings, then the next set, etc. After that, try to play all the chords moving across the fretboard. For me it's really hard to remember where all the roots are and the shape that goes with them. Tons of homework here.
Yeah, a lot of work, but I cannot think of many more pieces of knowledge that could be more powerful than close voice triads. Knowing this stuff is really getting the keys to the castle.
I consider that a “gimmy” because there is no left hand, but your point is a valid one. At least the right hand, ears and brain are all there right!?!? Thanks for the catch!
Would it be easier to memorize the triads based off where the root note falls for each CAGED shape? I think that is what you did in the video, but without tying CAGE shapes. Take the root and count the 3 and five notes where they fit within each shape. This works most of the time, but knowing the major scale helps sus that out. What do you think?
I think you’re right on! Knowing the roots is critical! But as soon as possible, see each triad within the larger shape, then you can ditch CAGED altogether!
Chris, help a fellow pilgrim, i'm lost in a world of trying to remember scales, modes, triads, dyads, octaves, you name it, i still don't sound too musical, how do i get to making sweet melody fastest? i sometimes just think I'm making a racket..lol...thanks brother, rock on !
Hey George! Find a harmonic relationship you like to hear...study it. Turn your musical preference into your musical capability. Once you KNOW what you like, WHY it works, and then HOW to replicate it, you WILL start sounding more musical. ...promise!
@@curiousguitarist Thanks a lot Chris, appreciate you replying, I guess Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits is my kinda sound, I think he used the Caged sytem a lot from what I can hear, I'd love to be able to get the old axe sounding like he did, I mean, I can play covers reasonably well but like you say, owning the sonic relationship and knowing why it works it what I'm aiming for. Love your channel and I think its gonna really take off, again, heartfelt thank you.
CAGED is just a marketing term for a system that explains the fretboard. It works great, but all the information has actually been there for hundreds of years :)
I’m amazed at my progress! You and Marty have changed my world forever!!! Again, much love and respect from Maine! I need to get too work!🤣🤘🏼👊🏼
That’s fantastic news Scott! Thanks for being here.
Chris: You were born to teach: we're lucky to have you leading us through the maze of the fretboard and music theory in the most clear and concise way possible.
Thanks for that Dan, I'm happy to be doing this with you all!
One of the best guitar lessons on arpeggios on the entire internet! I've played guitar for over 13 years and seeing the arpeggios compared to the piano has always been the challenge since the guitar isn't as "linear" as a piano. Thanks for breaking it down by doing 3 strings at a time. When you do that, they're actually pretty simple and much easier to visualize during soloing because they're just part of a basic barre chord starting from the low e string.
Great to hear, I'm so glad this was helpful!
I cannot thank you enough Chris for what your lessons have done for me. The various triad lessons you have here have been the golden key for me to finally decipher the fretboard. The old barre chord shapes and scale patterns that I once brainlessly memorized… I’m now visualizing them as a scaffolding to build new triad and 4-note chords!
Every day as a practice/study routine, I now make it a point to strum a Major barre chord while naming it orally, then pluck each string and name each note, then repeat while naming each interval. I will also play a Major scale, singing along with note names, and again as intervals.
Next, I strum the chord a a minor barre, again naming the chord, then arpeggiating while naming each note and interval.
Next, I start breaking apart the Major barre chord into it’s triad components, again naming the notes and intervals, followed by “asssembling” minor/diminished/augmented versions, then throwing in the 7th degree. Once I get all that firmly established, I plan on expanding into extended chords etc.
Your UA-cam channel has convinced me to re-program myself, to get my chord knowledge and chord-building chops down cold on the fretboard. My goal is always KNOW and UNDERSTAND exactly what is happening under my fingertips, vs mindlessly slapping a barre shape/scale pattern onto the neck by rote. Or, as you simply put it, STAYING AWAKE!
Best news I can hear Joe! This is great!
Thanks for your support and engagement here Joe, I really appreciate it.
I recently committed to this journey after decades of thinking I could be a good player without the effort of learning the fretboard. With your help and my dedication I have shattered the plateau I was stuck in for years.
I cannot express how lovely that is to read, John. Thanks for posting this.
@@curiousguitarist you’re welcome! Last night I had epiphany after epiphany. I was hearing what I wanted next and I was able to find it in a way that never happened before. It honestly felt like I truly connected with my guitar for the first time. You are my guide. 🙏 I’m 60 now and breaking down but the future is bright because I can see my dream coming true.
Never stop learning. Ever.
I’m getting into guitar study after years of playing an instrument I don’t understand! You make this so easy, thank you very much!
You are so welcome, glad to have you here J!
You deserve to get rich from the quality of your teaching. There are lots of great videos and teachers out there but you stand above them all.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate this.
Learning triads is truly THE instruction manual for this emotion-expressing machine called the guitar.
Truth!
Unique in UA-cam, a real teacher! Thx 🙏🏼
Thanks, Gerard, I appreciate it. Happy to be helping!
I liked learning riffs when I was young but they get old after a while and it leaves more questions than answers.You have a gift for explaining the things everyone should be starting with, before they learn songs. Students should start here and then learn songs on their own, if their not committed to theory they won't stay with it after learning a few riffs,because they will get frustrated and quit.I wish I would have had someone like yourself back then to teach me.All the guy's I knew that could really get down wouldn't take time and explain things.
Thanks, Scott I appreciate that. Glad you’re here.
This is what i need to learn , having a hard time.
Thank you for this.
Awesome teacher.
You are welcome. Triads are so impactful, they are worth the effort.
I really enjoy the way you teach theory. You have made the ideas and concepts of major triads and how they are formed CLEAR! Thank you!
You're very welcome, Walter. That's exactly why I'm here.
Thanks for watching, commenting and being engaged!
Thank you for speaking in intervals.
It helps me understand things much easier
It is the best language!
@Chris Sherland Guitar
Most online teachers list frets and I just can't stand that.
Just tell me the chord, and the intervals played and I'm good!
@@ericchin739 exactly! If you ever want to talk to actual musicians, who may not have happened to choose guitar as their instrument, the only way to make sense to them will be speaking this way.
Thanks for your comments!
@Chris Sherland Guitar
Agreed!!
It's just WAYY easier to visualize.
Plus, when you call out an interval... I have two or three different notes to choose from.
When frets are called out, I have to stop, imagine which interval that is in my head, and then continue.
Very distracting!
I'm new to your channel, and appreciate the practice you inspired me to do this weekend!!
Right, I know this is an older video. But the information is new to me. From this 10 min video and your explanation, I've been able to track all the triads from D major all over the neck. I know there was a reason they added the 'mindblown' emoji. And it was for this moment. Thank you, Sir 🙏 🤯🤯🤯 🙏
Can't tell you how happy that makes me, Matt. I'm so glad this one turned on a light or two!
Thanks for helping it click Brother. This was an excellent lesson in triads!
So glad to help things click, Gregorio.
I love the theory and exercises. Been playing for a long time and your videos keep opening new doors to my understanding.
That, Phil, Is precisely what I'm hoping to hear from folks. Thanks so much for being here.
Great lesson Chris. I particularly loved the mechanism for moving up and down the stringsets. The point about octaves snapped things into focus for me. The way I 've been learning the triads previously is horizontally and knowing which shape is which inversion, then mapping/positioning the shapes via the root note of each inversion as I move along a three-string set. I'm going to work through the method you show here too for completeness. Thanks!
So glad this was helpful Paul, thanks for being here!
Thanks. I’m trying to learn the triads and that is actually helpful
Glad to hear it, Douglas. Once you get this info on the neck, then surround it with the major scale, you can never UN-see it, the fretboard will make more and more sense.
Very good sir ; very good indeed ! Clear, concise, relevant, interesting & building on knowledge obtained in previous lessons.
Glad you enjoyed this one Jonathan!
I am really loving your lessons, I’ve wanted/ needed to learn triads for years but could never seem to kick start that journey, you have got me interested to the point of exited because each step seems to unlock another! so thanks again, Howard🙏
Glad you’re here and triads are clicking for you Howard!
Wow! 2 major AHA moments for me in this Chris! No idea why it didn't stand out to me previously, but really appreciate your explanations!
Sometimes it just takes the right explanation at the right time! Happy to have helped!
Nice explanation of applied theory to a practical usage on the neck.
Chris another great video...48yo, only been self teaching for a little over a year now, started with the blues....So glad i learned CAGED first, as hard as it was to wrap my head around, but makes many things alot easier to learn imo... these Triads are easy to find now, and relate them to something...on the top 3 strings i knew the E shape, connects to the D, then A, but the way you explained how by moving the notes to the next 1 becomes 3, 3 becomes 5....omg light bulb moment...just another way to connect a shape to as little as a note....nice job
i know so much and still think i sound like garbage...lol
my wife has MS so in bed by 630, 7pm...so i usually practice about 3-4 hrs a night....things are starting to come together mentally but feel like i still cannot make music like i want..always enjoy more options, as you continue to open the fretboard..tnx man,
sincerely,
Frustrated in NY :)
Grab any progression you already know, and start applying these triads to it as improvisational tools and it'll get really musical really fast.
I'm so glad to be getting you helpful info! Happy you're here.
@@curiousguitarist thanks man...just watched woodshed nailing triads practice...im going to give that a go...as well as your harmonizing scales...unreal how everything starts fitting together...so i figure the practice of the circle of 5ths, and the harmonizing will 2 fold get me used to where they are, and 2 get me more looking for the notes they are anchored to...to start developing more harmony or at least see where my options are around the chords im playing...
Tnx for the help...enjoy listening and learning...just cant get enough theory but i do when ive waded into the deep end by mistake....ill get it ill get it....too hard headed and goal driven to give up..lol
Chris, thanks as always for opening the door of knowledge for us to walk through there is so much info here, Happy Holidays
wow, amazing to see something that's always been right in front of you... using CAGE, on 3 strings
Thanx for the Christmas gift ! I love the way you look at the fretboard. You always seem to point out a important relationship I hadn't noticed that helps make sense of this nonsensical instrument ;-)
Merry Christmas Eric! Yeah this instrument can be so frustrating! Hoping these triads help to unravel the mystery.
Great lesson Chris. I've been working with my guitar teacher on this very concept over the last year (except it's in the Key of C). Incorporating these ideas into my practice routine has been challenging due to two factors: 1. learning/practicing the triads horizontally/vertically over all 6 strings. 2. working my way around the circle of 5ths in every key. Would you recommend a student focus on more guitar friendly/frequently used keys when trying to incorporate this into their practice routine (and if so, what keys would be more guitar friendly)? I ask because realistically speaking, I only have about 1/2 hr per day to practice the instrument and work on ear training. So, I really have to be strategic in my approach to learning the instrument and balancing that with playing pieces/songs I enjoy. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Chris! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! :)
Hey John,
I’d suggest using the entire circle of fifths and practice that until you can get around the circle in 3-5 minutes.
But ultimately if your constraint is time you’ll have to choose a good balance of work and play.
These kinds of questions really get to the core of what kind of progress you want to make. Do you want to understand the instrument? If so, then dedicate the time to that effort. But if you need the instrument as a relaxation method maybe it’s not time to study it methodically...?
@@curiousguitarist This is why I use the Circle of 1sts,.... ha,.... but excellent different way to look at the relationship of triads on the neck,.... its great when someone explains guitar in a way that makes you go, "Oh,.... thats a good way to look at it".. me likey and I appreciate
@@mikemcdonald712 yeah you cannot go wrong with triads! Glad you enjoyed this!
Learning guitar is helping with memory loss. This vid is great and I'll definitely download the tablature. Thanks for your sharing. Thank Marty as well.
You bet!
Real good one Chris! Just saw this!! Must have missed it 😮
An oldie for sure!
Another great informative vid Chris. Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Great lesson love your teaching style, hope your channel blows up
Thanks bodazofa123, really appreciate it!
I'm hoping that same thing too :)
@@curiousguitarist good luck!
Your the best Guitar Theory teacher I know! ;D
Miles, that is the greatest compliment I could receive. Thank you!
Incredibly helpful. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
I have decided to dedicate this month to nailing these triads, playing all three tones together then plucking the root (in a way to try to remember where the root lies for each shape!) so that I can better understand what's going on :) and work out the minor patterns in the future.
So far, GBE strings have been conquered (to the extent that my fingers fall naturally into the shapes and correct fret position) going up and down.
I have been practising moving across the lower strings too, I can just about remember the positions but am yet to work out the finger transitions, these are still a bit clunky but I'm sure I'll get there soon!
An important foundation to understanding the fretboard, so that's why I'm challenging myself to learn these! Thanks again, Chris, for the lesson!
That is a great goal! Keep us posted Joyce!
Reviewing the basics means I don't have to think or practice. Great for early morning yt viewing. :)
Mapping these triads on the neck connects us to the very core of the guitar's design and intent.
Nice place to be with a cup of coffee :)
Thank you
You're welcome, Duane! Love the Challenger! 1970?
Awesome thank you
You bet!
Thank you. This helped me out a lot.
That’s great to hear Steve.
The process for chaining the inversions across strings by keeping two notes in common and moving the top note down an octave is a great way to think about it. The other thing that occurred to me is that there are only three basic shapes (root position, first inversion, and second inversion). Once you can play these across the bottom four strings, you can adapt them for the top four strings by remembering to adjust for the 4th to 3rd tuning shift between the g and b strings.
Exactly!!
Merry Christmas Chris. And thank you for this good one
Happy holidays to you as well Christopher!
Good Stuff
Thank you sir! So awesome
Awesome stuff. Thank you. Some times a pick a set of chords used by a favorite song (4), the see if I can play them all on the first three strings, then the next set, etc. After that, try to play all the chords moving across the fretboard. For me it's really hard to remember where all the roots are and the shape that goes with them. Tons of homework here.
Yeah, a lot of work, but I cannot think of many more pieces of knowledge that could be more powerful than close voice triads. Knowing this stuff is really getting the keys to the castle.
thank you man !
Love the six (string ) shooter pick guard
Got that from an Etsy shop called Greasy Groove.
@@curiousguitarist you need to paint a lasso on the face of the Tele which terminates at the amp jack
@@douglasbroccone3144 love that!
Chris can you put the cord shapes on the right hand of the video when you speak them
The full TABs are on my Patreon!
Chris, for completeness in the key of G maj in standard turning what about the 'triad' in the open position - from bottom up - strings D G B?
I consider that a “gimmy” because there is no left hand, but your point is a valid one. At least the right hand, ears and brain are all there right!?!?
Thanks for the catch!
Great stuff! 😁
Would it be easier to memorize the triads based off where the root note falls for each CAGED shape? I think that is what you did in the video, but without tying CAGE shapes. Take the root and count the 3 and five notes where they fit within each shape. This works most of the time, but knowing the major scale helps sus that out. What do you think?
I think you’re right on! Knowing the roots is critical! But as soon as possible, see each triad within the larger shape, then you can ditch CAGED altogether!
Mon dieu c’est tellement clair! Merci :)
Merci Sebastian!
So how do I get the tab and notation for this?
Head over to www.patreon.com/chrissherland The Library tier there features TABs for EVERY video on the channel. Thanks in advance, Vin!
Chris, help a fellow pilgrim, i'm lost in a world of trying to remember scales, modes, triads, dyads, octaves, you name it, i still don't sound too musical, how do i get to making sweet melody fastest? i sometimes just think I'm making a racket..lol...thanks brother, rock on !
Hey George!
Find a harmonic relationship you like to hear...study it. Turn your musical preference into your musical capability.
Once you KNOW what you like, WHY it works, and then HOW to replicate it, you WILL start sounding more musical.
...promise!
@@curiousguitarist Thanks a lot Chris, appreciate you replying, I guess Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits is my kinda sound, I think he used the Caged sytem a lot from what I can hear, I'd love to be able to get the old axe sounding like he did, I mean, I can play covers reasonably well but like you say, owning the sonic relationship and knowing why it works it what I'm aiming for. Love your channel and I think its gonna really take off, again, heartfelt thank you.
This was great! Kind of like the Caged system on steroids. 😂 thanks again
CAGED is just a marketing term for a system that explains the fretboard. It works great, but all the information has actually been there for hundreds of years :)
glob is a word.
Haahaha! I might be getting too comfortable eh?
Self teaching music I'm at the point that I can either pay for lessons or therapy...
I pay for both regularly :)