In this post I'm going to outline some song ideas for you to work on that focus on our next chord category which is Triads. When playing songs and progressions using Triads, you will be using chord forms that incorporate combinations of three different notes played on three different strings. Triads can be built using a combination of ANY three strings, and just like our previous two categories, these chord forms can be moved up and down the entire fretboard. When learning progressions using Triads, it is important to understand what TYPES of chords you are playing as well as which FORMS or "Inversions" of each chord you are playing.

The four most common categories of Triads are Major, Minor, Diminished, and Augmented, although many guitarists also use the Suspended 2nd as well as the Suspended 4th chord families when creating Triad progressions. One of the great things that you will find about studying Triad forms is that each of these six chord families (Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented, Sus 2 and Sus 4) are often only one note away from each other. What this means is that after you learn a single Triad type, by changing just one Chord Tone by a half step or a whole step, you can learn each of the other Triad types. This is because the Chord Tones and "Intervals" used to build each of the six different types of Triads are very similar.

The Interval patterns or "Formulas" used to build the six families of Triads are:

Major Triad: Root - 3rd - 5th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th)

Minor Triad: Root - b3rd - 5th
(Also labeled as Root - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5th)
 
Diminished Triad: Root - b3rd - b5th
(Also labeled as Root - Minor 3rd - Diminished 5th)
 
Augmented Triad: Root - 3rd - #5th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3rd - Augmented 5th)
 
Suspended 2nd Triad: Root - 2nd - 5th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 2nd - Perfect 5th)
 
Suspended 4th Triad: Root - 4th - 5th
(Also labeled as Root - Perfect 4th - Perfect 5th)

Once you have learned the specific Intervals that are used to build each Triad type, the next step is to learn several different forms of each chord that combine the notes of each chord into different arrangements or "Inversions". For example, a Major Triad is built with a combination of three specific notes, but those notes can be arranged in several different ways and the Triad will still be considered Major. Each form or Inversion will have its own specific shape and sound, but the building blocks or ingredients of the chord will still remain the same:

Major Triad: Root - 3rd - 5th

Major Triad: Root - 5th - 3rd

Major Triad: 3rd - 5th- Root
 
Major Triad: 3rd - Root - 5th
 
Major Triad: 5th - Root - 3rd
 
Major Triad: 5th - 3rd- Root

Once you have learned the many different families or Triads as well as the many different Inversions played on various string groups, the next step is to put these chords to work in some progressions and songs. Here's a short list of songs that I put together that are based on the use of Triads:

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" (bridge section) by Jet
"Baby Hold On" (intro and verse sections) by Eddie Money
"Beautiful Disaster" (verse section) by 311
"Dear Prudence" (intro section) by the Beatles
"Dream On" (intro, verse and bridge sections) by Aerosmith
"D'yer Ma'ker" (main riff) by Led Zeppelin
"Fool In The Rain" (verse section) by Led Zeppelin
"For Those About To Rock" (intro section) by AC/DC
"Freewill" (pre-verse section) by Rush
"Here In Your Bedroom" (verse and pre-chorus sections) by Goldfinger
"Mother Nature's Son" (intro and chorus sections) by the Beatles
"Michelle" (intro section) by the Beatles
"No Surprises" (intro section) by Radiohead
"Red Barchetta" (bridge section) by Rush
"Roxanne" (intro, verse and pre-chorus sections) by the Police
"Run Like Hell" (main riff) by Pink Floyd
"Santeria" (verse and chorus sections) by Sublime
"Sheep" (outro section) by Pink Floyd
"Sultans Of Swing" (chorus section) by Dire Straits
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" (main riff) by U2
"The Wind Cries Mary" (intro and verse sections) by Jimi Hendrix
"Up Around The Bend" (main riff) by CCR
"Us And Them" (intro and verse sections) by Pink Floyd
"Vital Signs" (intro, verse and chorus sections) by Rush
"We Live Again" (intro, verse and chorus sections) by Beck
"Wait Until Tomorrow" (intro section) by Jimi Hendrix
"Walking On The Moon" (verse and bridge sections) by the Police
"Wrong Way" (verse and chorus) by Sublime

This list represents just a small fraction of the songs that can be played using Triads. Keep in mind that many of these songs are built around a combination of several different chord categories (including Open Chords, Open Chord Variations, Power Chords, Barre Chords, and Triads), and many of these songs also incorporate single note or "Riff" style playing.

One final thing to think about is that Triad forms and progressions can be played on ANY group of three strings, and many of the examples that I've listed incorporate more than one specific group of strings, which is really going to force you to learn your Triads on all of the different string groups as well as in many different positions on the neck.

Good luck!

Nate