Transcript
FREE music lessons from Berklee College of Music Guitar Chords 101
Lesson 2: Triad Inversions Up the Fretboard
This lesson is excerpted from an online course. While the navigation links on each page are not active, all of the multimedia interactions are. Have fun!
Check out Berkleeshares.com for more lessons just like this one.
© 2005 Berklee College of Music licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/1.0/ verify at http://berkleeshares.com/legal-notice
Berklee is offering free music lessons online designed to expand educational opportunities for musicians around the globe. The music lessons are available for free download from the Berkleeshares.com Web site and via a growing network of partner Web sites. These free music lessons are also available on digital file sharing networks. We encourage people to share our lessons with other musicians. While Berklee strongly disapproves of stealing copyrighted music online, we believe that file sharing offers new opportunities for musicians to learn, and to promote and distribute their work.
Berkleemusic Home
Syllabus
Discussion
Help
Course Home -> Lesson 2 -> Topic 2 Page 1
Lesson 2 Topic 1 Topic 2 Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Activity 1 Activity 2 Topic 3 Activity 3 Topic 4 Activity 4 Activity 5 Activity 6 Activity 7 Activity 8 Topic 5
Triad Inversions Up the Fretboard
Course Contents Syllabus Grades Bookmark
Click the image to start the video.
Communication Announcements Class list Discussion Chat
Chord inversions help to smooth out motion from chord to chord, harmonize melodies, and allow smooth bass motion. On the guitar, use of inversions allows the player to be able play some form of a given chord virtually anywhere on the neck. Inversions are your friend! Up the Fretboard and Across the Fretboard. First, a clarification of terms is in order. The following approach should help us to get to more possibilities in the most effective way possible. We will be looking at two ways to work on chord inversions on the guitar: up and down the fretboard and across the fretboard. Up and down the fretboard refers to moving voicings from the lower-numbered frets to the higher-numbered frets (where the higher pitches are).
Across refers to taking the inversions from the higher-pitched strings to the lower-pitched strings.
Previous Page
Berkleemusic Online School -- BMP-120.01 Guitar Chords 101 © 2002-2004 Berklee College of Music. All rights reserved. Our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Next Page
Berkleemusic Home
Syllabus
Discussion
Help
Course Home -> Lesson 2 -> Topic 2 Page 2
Lesson 2 Topic 1 Topic 2 Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Activity 1 Activity 2 Topic 3 Activity 3 Topic 4 Activity 4 Activity 5 Activity 6 Activity 7 Activity 8 Topic 5
Triad Inversions Up the Fretboard
To invert a chord, move the bottom note up an octave. A root-position C triad is spelled C E G. Moving the C (the bottom note) up an octave yields E G C. A major triad with the third in the bottom is called a triad in first inversion. To get a second inversion triad, move the E up an octave, giving you G C E. A triad with the fifth of the chord in the bass is called a triad in second inversion.
Course Contents Syllabus Grades Bookmark Communication
, root position is playable in third position, first inversion in eighth On the top string set position, and second inversion in twelfth position.
Announcements Class list Discussion Chat
Exercise 1. - Drill and Practice Up the Fretboard 1. Taking the keys of C, F, Bb, and Eb, practice playing all of the inversions of the major triad.
Example 2.1:
MP3
PDF
Examples
Examples Play the following triads for two beats each.
2. Now on
, run through the major triads in four more keys.
Example 2.3:
Play the following triads alternating between four and two beats each.
Previous Page
Berkleemusic Online School -- BMP-120.01 Guitar Chords 101 © 2002-2004 Berklee College of Music. All rights reserved. Our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Next Page
Berkleemusic Home
Syllabus
Discussion
Help
Course Home -> Lesson 2 -> Topic 2 Page 3
Lesson 2 Topic 1 Topic 2 Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Activity 1 Activity 2 Topic 3 Activity 3 Topic 4 Activity 4 Activity 5 Activity 6 Activity 7 Activity 8 Topic 5
Triad Inversions Up the Fretboard
Let's check out the inversions of minor, traveling up the fretboard. Flat the third, and perform C minor triad, first and second inversions on the top string set on
.
Course Contents Syllabus Grades Bookmark Communication Announcements Class list Discussion Chat
Drill and Practice Up the Fretboard 3. Taking the keys of C, F, Bb, and Eb, practice playing all of the inversions of the minor triad on
Example 2.2:
, working your way up and down the fretboard.
MP3 Examples
PDF Examples Pay close attention to the first attack of each inversion. Make the notes ring!
4. Next, try the minor triads in Gmin, Dmin, Amin, and Emin on
.
Example 2.4:
Strings 4-3-2 typically have a more mellow sound. Watch out for extraneous string noise.
Previous Page
Next Activity: Practice Exercise
Berkleemusic Online School -- BMP-120.01 Guitar Chords 101 © 2002-2004 Berklee College of Music. All rights reserved. Our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Back to Page 3
Back to Page 3
Back to Page 4
Back to Page 4
