Guitar Triads Chart - All Closed-Position Triads

For this example, we'll use the A triad, consisting of the notes A, C♯ and E.

This guitar triad chart details every closed-position guitar triad shape on the guitar for the major chord, using all four sets of three adjacent strings. These triads should be studied first across: A major on the 6^th, 5^th, and 4^th strings, turning into A major, first inversion on the 5^th, 4^th, and 3^rd. Then the triads should be studied going up the strings: A major, root position, on strings 6, 5 and 4; then A major, first inversion, on the same strings. Once mastered, these tiny structures can be strung together in powerful ways to create many interesting new sounds.

These triads are not only helpful in visualizing the notes on the guitar, but also essential in popular music. Many catchy grooves and hooks that can be heard on the radio are played with these triads. Since few guitar players bother to learn them all, incorporating these triads into your playing can help you come up with fresh sounds and ideas.

Major Triads – Strings 6, 5, 4

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Major Triads – Strings 5, 4, 3

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Major Triads – Strings 4, 3, 2

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion*

Corrected one octave.

Major Triads – Strings 3, 2, 1

Root Position*

Corrected one octave.

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Key Tasks

• Play through the chords and learn all of them.
• Practice the chords up and down one string set, as shown above (e.g., 654).
• Practice the chords across string sets, e.g., Root on 654, 1^st inversion on 543, etc.

This page uses the A^- chord as an example. The chord contains the notes A, C, and E.

After the major triad, the minor triad is the second most commonly-used harmony in music. It will be helpful to study every possible way to create this structure on the guitar. In addition to aiding us in visualizing the entire guitar fretboard, these mini-chords have practical uses and can be heard in both lead guitar and rhythm guitar.

Study the triads both up and down strings (string set 654: root, first inversion, and second inversion) as well as across strings: string set 654, root position; string set 543, first inversion; string set 432, second inversion; string set 321, root position.

Minor Triads – Strings 6, 5, 4

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Minor Triads – Strings 5, 4, 3

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Minor Triads – Strings 4, 3, 2

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Minor Triads – Strings 3, 2, 1

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Key Tasks

• Play through the chords and learn all of them.
• Practice the chords up and down one string set, as shown above (e.g., 654).
• Practice the chords across string sets, e.g., Root on 654, 1^st inversion on 543, etc.

This example uses the A⁺ triad, consisting of the notes A, C♯, and E♯.

A Bit of Theory...

This chord is somewhat like a modified major chord (A C♯ E) with a raised fifth degree (E becomes E♯).

We call the note E♯ instead of F to preserve its role as the 5^th of the chord. The word "F", being 6 letters away from A (instead of 5, as in the case of E) would imply that the tone is acting as the 6^th scale degree from the key of A when its role in this chord is as an altered fifth.

This chord is unusual for two reasons:

1. This chord cannot be produced naturally from any major scale. That is, take the notes of any major scale (for example in C: C, D, E, F, G, A, B) and no combination of those tones can produce this structure of two consecutive major thirds.
2. This is one of few structures that is totally symmetrical, dividing the 12-tone chromatic scale into four perfect pieces. That means that the first inversion of this chord is the same shape as the root position and is, itself, a C♯⁺ chord. It also means there are really only 4 augmented chords in existence.

Augmented Triads – Strings 6, 5, 4

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Augmented Triads – Strings 5, 4, 3

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Augmented Triads – Strings 4, 3, 2

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Augmented Triads – Strings 3, 2, 1

Root Position*

*Adjusted one octave.

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Key Tasks

• Play through the chords and learn all of them.
• Practice the chords up and down one string set, as shown above (e.g., 654).
• Practice the chords across string sets, e.g., Root on 654, 1^st inversion on 543, etc.

This example uses the A^o triad, consisting of the notes A, C, and E♭.

A Bit of Theory...

The diminished triad is a very useful structure. It rarely appears at all in the major key, except as the upper three notes of the V⁷ chord. Here's an example in the key of B♭ major:

This chord could very well be used any time you hear a V⁷ chord in the major key. It also has a special role in the minor key as well, where it often appears in the chord progression II^o, V⁷, I-. If this A^o chord were being used in that chord progression, the progression would be:

For now, let's first study the chords. Applying them is the key to remembering them and calling upon them later in your playing.

Diminished Triads – Strings 6, 5, 4

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Diminished Triads – Strings 5, 4, 3

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Diminished Triads – Strings 4, 3, 2

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Diminished Triads – Strings 3, 2, 1

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Key Tasks

• Play through the chords and learn all of them.
• Practice the chords up and down one string set, as shown above (e.g., 654).
• Practice the chords across string sets, e.g., Root on 654, 1^st inversion on 543, etc.

This chord is unusual for two reasons:

1. This chord cannot be produced naturally from any major scale. That is, take the notes of any major scale (for example in C: C, D, E, F, G, A, B) and no combination of those tones can produce this structure of two consecutive minor thirds.

For this page, we'll use A^sus2 as our example, containing the notes A, B, and E.

Suspended chords are created from major chords. Beginning with a major chord, such as A (A, C♯, E), we remove the 3^rd from the chord (C♯) and replace it with the 2^nd (B). Where does the 2^nd come from? From the A major scale: A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A.

We'll study all of the suspended 2 triad forms. We can study them both going up and down the same string set (for example, all shapes on a single string set, as presented below), or we can study them across string sets. (Root position on string set 654 moving to 1^st inversion on string set 543).

Note: since A^sus2 and A^sus4 chords are inversions of each other, this lesson is similar to the lesson on sus4 chords.

Suspended 2^nd Triads – Strings 6, 5, 4

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Suspended 2^nd Triads – Strings 5, 4, 3

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Suspended 2^nd Triads – Strings 4, 3, 2

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Suspended 2^nd Triads – Strings 3, 2, 1

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Key Tasks

• Play through the chords and learn all of them.
• Practice the chords up and down one string set, as shown above (e.g., 654).
• Practice the chords across string sets, e.g., Root on 654, 1^st inversion on 543, etc.

For this example, we'll use the A^sus4 chord, containing the notes A, D, and E.

The sus4 chord is an ambiguous structure that almost sounds like it would rather float up to the clouds than come back down to Earth where chords belong.

Practice all of the sus4 chords, and note their similarity to sus2 triads.

Suspended 4^th Triads – Strings 6, 5, 4

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Suspended 4^th Triads – Strings 5, 4, 3

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Suspended 4^th Triads – Strings 4, 3, 2

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Suspended 4^th Triads – Strings 3, 2, 1

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

Key Tasks

• Play through the chords and learn all of them.
• Practice the chords up and down one string set, as shown above (e.g., 654).
• Practice the chords across string sets, e.g., Root on 654, 1^st inversion on 543, etc.