Major and Minor Triad Series - #1 Beginner

This is going to be a series of posts on Major and Minor Triads. Most beginner and intermediate players view them as just simple basic chords. While this is true, it's also true that these simple chords can be used for an advanced level of play creating fantastic fills and and greats sounds. (hear the sound file below)

Beginners, if your plan and desire is to get to an intermediate/advanced level of play, do not... take these simple chords for granted. Master them well and some interesting surprises are in store. If your plan is just to play some simple enjoyable piano tunes, knowing just these will enable you to do so.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Let's learn a simple non-theory, non-traditional way of learning all the triad chords. We're just going to use 2 simple rules to get you up and running quickly.

MAJOR TRIADS - THE 4-3 RULE:
Put your right-hand thumb (1) on middle 'C'. Using your left-hand pointer finger, count up the very next (4) notes. (4 half-steps which takes you to (E). Now put your right-hand pointer finger (2) on the (E). Using you left-hand pointer finger once again, this time count up the very next (3) notes. (3 half-steps which take you to (G). Now put you right-hand ring finger (4) on the (G). You now have the three notes of the 'C' major chord. Play all 3 notes together using the 1st, 2nd and 4th fingers of the right hand.











Now I know that the fingering 1, 2, & 4 may be a bit different than what you may have learned, or even a bit controversial for others, but I have strong reasons for keeping that (5) pinky free. We'll see why when we start to learn 'Chord Melody Playing' in future posts.

With the 4-3 rule you can immediately find the notes of all major triads. For example, if you needed to play an Eb major chord you would start with placing your thumb on the Eb. THEN... apply the 4-3 rule FROM there. Up (4) to (G). Then up (3) to Bb. You then have Eb, G, & Bb... the Eb major chord.

In the left hand, the fingering is the exact opposite, a mirror of the right-hand fingering.










MINOR TRIADS - THE RULE
This is an easy one, IF, you know your major triads. Just lower the middle note of the major chord (1) half step. C, E & G is a 'C' major chord. Lower the 'E' to and 'Eb' (1 half step) and you have the 'C' minor chord. C, Eb, & G.

Here's a sound file for some further discussion and reinforcement.



Some will listen to that simple musical excerpt and find it hard to believe that absolutely nothing more then pure major and minor triads were used. That's the power they have and why it can't be stressed enough to master them. There's much more that can be done when one knows them well. So much of advanced harmony can be bypassed using triad combinations.

Below are the PDF's of the major and minor triads in the groups you could begin to practice. They are all shown in the root (basic) position. (As opposed to the inversions - I'll explain in a sec) Pick a group per day. Know them well in this position in the left and right hand well. If you do not read piano bass clef (left-hand clef) well, just learn the right-hand then play the exact same notes and octave lower on the keyboard.

Right-Hand Major & Minor Triad Download
Left-Hand Major & Minor Triad Download

And lastly, inversions. Notice below the first chord... the 'C' major chord in the root position. If you take the bottom note 'C' and move on top of the 'E' and 'G', (the 2nd chord shown) you still have a 'C' major chord, but in the 1st inversion. If you the 'E' of the 1st inversion chord and move it above the 'G' and 'C', you now have a 'C' major chord in the 2nd inversion. And finally... back to the root position.






Inversions can be a real challenge to learning chords, but well worth the effort. The PDF download below is of all the inversions for a the groups of triad chords learned is shown only in the right hand. For the hobbyist and intermediate player it's more beneficial to learn them in just the right hand. It's where you will use them most.

Download it here. You'll see in the PDF that you will just play and hold down the left-hand root position chord while the right hand plays the inversions. And it's NOT suggested that you read them as you practice. (the chart is just for reference) Practice them using the rules you've learned with no music in front of you.

Again, if you do them in the familiar groups.. C, F, G. -- D, E, A. You will learn them faster, as they have the same look and feel of each other. Your muscles will learn faster. (Muscle Memory - 'for another post')

Just go slow and do a group at a time and over a few short weeks you will begin to run on automatic. Have fun! And if you need some extra help, just give me a shout.