On guitar, the most useful way to learn triads is on three adjacent strings, one note per string. Each shape is small, you can play it anywhere on the neck, and you always know which string holds the root, the third and the fifth.
The three string sets
Strings are numbered from the highest (1, the high E) to the lowest (6, the low E). GuitarPlan's course works through three string sets, one after another:
- Strings 1–2–3 (G, B and high E): the brightest set and the usual starting point.
- Strings 2–3–4 (D, G and B): the same triads one string lower, in the middle of the range.
- Strings 4–5–6 (low E, A and D): the low set, with a fuller, darker sound.
The method: one new difficulty at a time
GuitarPlan's course adds a single difficulty at each stage, always in the same order: first the root of the triad on each string, then its three inversions without a metronome, then the same loop at a slow, a medium and a fast tempo. Once you know the triads of the I, IV and V chords of a key, you use those same shapes to connect them with voice leading, and only then do you take everything to the next string set. Each stage rests on the one before, so nothing has to be learned twice.
Step by step
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Choose one string set
Start with strings 1–2–3 and stay there until the twelve keys feel familiar. Changing strings too early only multiplies the shapes you have to remember.
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Find the root on each string
Locate the root of the triad on each of the three strings, at the frets where it will appear in the three inversions, and play those notes from the lowest fret to the highest. For C on strings 1–2–3: fret 1 of the B string, fret 5 of the G string and fret 8 of the high E string.
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Play the three inversions in order
Play root position (1–3–5), first inversion (3–5–1) and second inversion (5–1–3), reading the degrees from the lowest-sounding string of the set to the highest. Say which degree each finger plays: it turns shapes into notes.
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Loop the sequence without a metronome
Repeat 1–3–5, 3–5–1, 5–1–3 until you can go from one shape to the next without stopping or searching for the notes.
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Add a metronome
Play the same loop with a metronome at a slow, a medium and a fast tempo, such as 50, 70 and 90 BPM. Move on when each tempo feels controlled, not just fast.
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Move through the twelve keys and string sets
Follow the cycle of fourths: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, G. Then use the same shapes to connect chords with voice leading, and repeat everything on strings 2–3–4 and 4–5–6.
Example: C major on strings 1–2–3
In standard tuning (E A D G B E), with each inversion in its lowest position on the neck:
| Inversion | Degrees | G string | B string | High E string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | 1–3–5 | Fret 5 (C) | Fret 5 (E) | Fret 3 (G) |
| First inversion | 3–5–1 | Fret 9 (E) | Fret 8 (G) | Fret 8 (C) |
| Second inversion | 5–1–3 | Open (G) | Fret 1 (C) | Open (E) |
The second inversion is the top of the open C chord you may already know. The order of the loop stays the same even when a shape sits lower on the neck than the one before it. The triad inversions page explains how the three orders are built.
Learn the degrees, not just the shapes
Do not memorize the inversions as bare finger patterns. In each shape, know which string holds the root, which the third and which the fifth, and say the degrees as you play them. Notice how they rotate from one inversion to the next: in the C example, the G string plays the root (C) in root position, the third (E) in first inversion and the fifth (G) in second inversion.
A shape tells you where to put your fingers; the degrees tell you what you are playing. They are what you will use later: to find the closest notes of the next chord, or to aim at the third of a chord when you improvise.
Slow, but deep
This way of learning is slow on purpose. Three inversions in twelve keys, their voice leading and three string sets add up to 72 practice sessions, each one taken from no metronome up to 90 BPM. In return, what you learn stays: after a while you stop searching for chords and start seeing the notes of every chord across the neck, and you can improvise over a progression with ease, landing on the notes of each chord as it goes by.
There is a bonus, too. Every note you play is the root, the third or the fifth of a chord you can name, in all twelve keys and on all six strings, so along the way you learn the notes of the whole fretboard almost without noticing.
It is an effective, progressive system, but it takes time and a focused mind. A short session with your full attention on the degrees and on the sound does more than an hour on autopilot. Move on to the next tempo only when the current one feels controlled, and if your attention drifts, slow down or leave it for the next day.