Triads & inversions small shapes, whole neck
A triad is the three notes a chord is made of — root, third, fifth. On three neighbouring strings each chord has three small grips, one per note on the bottom. Learn them on the top strings and you can play any chord anywhere, move between chords by a fret or two, and see the skeleton inside every CAGED form.
Lesson 1 · C major on G, B, e
Major = root, up four frets’ worth to the third, up three more to the fifth. The lowest note names the shape:
- Root position — C E G (C on the bottom)
- First inversion — E G C (the third on the bottom)
- Second inversion — G C E (the fifth on the bottom)
e|-3--8--12-- B|-5--8--13-- G|-5--9--12-- D|----------- A|----------- E|-----------
Lesson 2 · Minor — lower the third
Move the third down one fret and major becomes minor. A minor (A C E) on the same strings:
e|-0--5--8--- B|-1--5--10-- G|-2--5--9--- D|----------- A|----------- E|-----------
Check it from C: root position C (5 5 3) with the B string at fret 4 instead of 5 is C minor.
Lesson 3 · The same chord on D, G, B
Drop one string set and the grips change shape, because the G–B pair is tuned a fret closer. C major again — root position, first inversion, second inversion:
e|----------- B|-8---1--5-- G|-9---0--5-- D|-10--2--5-- A|----------- E|-----------
Lesson 4 · Voice leading I – IV – V – I
Pick the nearest grip of each chord instead of jumping to the same shape. C → F → G → C in C major stays between frets 8 and 13, and no note moves more than a whole step:
e|-8--8---10--12-- B|-8--10--12--13-- G|-9--10--12--12-- D|---------------- A|---------------- E|----------------
That is how keyboard players and session guitarists comp — small, close, out of the singer’s way. The numbers come from Chords in a key.
Lesson 5 · Triads inside CAGED
Each grip is the top of a full chord form you may already know. For C major on G, B, e:
| Grip | Frets (G B e) | Top of |
|---|---|---|
| Second inversion | 0 1 0 | Open C (C form) |
| Root position | 5 5 3 | A-form barre at fret 3 |
| First inversion | 9 8 8 | E-form barre at fret 8 |
| Second inversion | 12 13 12 | D form at fret 10 |
On CAGED, find each grip inside its form before moving on.
Lesson 6 · Comp with them
Put a loop on Backing band and play only triads on the top three strings, one grip per chord, staying in one four-fret area. Then move the area up and do it again. Short, muted stabs on beats 2 and 4 are the start of jazz comping and funk rhythm.
Ready when
Move on when all of these are true on a normal day, not your best one:
- You can play root position, first and second inversion of any major or minor triad on G B e.
- You can do the same on D G B.
- You can comp a I–IV–V in two keys with no note moving more than a whole step between chords.