I IV V Triads all over the fretboard: how to master this crucial skill

Hi 00:00
Recap of the basics 01:29
Visualising the I IV V shapes 03:45
Metronome 09:10
Putting it into practice 11:53
Rhythm guitar triads 13:52
Lead guitar triads 15:49
Gear 19:44
Bye 22:11

Check out my website:

Social blah:

[leehacker]

this guy is a very good teacher. he has everything it takes and it definitely shows

[guitarman]

You have a very natural, calm and effective teaching style. You know your subject back to front and you just know what and how to teach.
You are simply a great teacher. I’m really impressed!

[mitjasainio]

This is going to be a long one, but will probably be buried in the comment section all the same. I really only got into music some 7 years ago. I played bass in primary school, but was always more interested in video games. Then in lower secondary I became interested in actually listening to music.

I picked up the bass again, and taught myself a couple of songs. I was really into Nirvana back in those days, and had just recently heard their MTV Unplugged cover of Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam. I wanted to learn to play the song, and tried looking up a bass lesson on YouTube. No luck. However, I did find your guitar lesson on the song. It turned out to be really simple, just three chords. I noticed it was part of a series of beginner lessons. I was intrigued enough by that one lesson to take a look at the rest of the beginner's course, and so I started learning to play the guitar.

I've come a long way since then. Nurturing the spark I got from that lesson has given me some amazing opportunities. I've gone on trips to new places and got to know wonderful people. And then there's the playing. It has been my favourite hobby ever since, and it continues to give me so much every day. It helps me express feelings I didn't even know I have. It lets me understand and thus enjoy music in a whole other way.

So what I wanted to do was to thank you, Adrian. I might never have changed the 4 strings for the 6, or carried on playing music, if it weren't for you.

I've also been trying to use more triads in my playing recently, so this is pretty cool.

[tomask.]

What I love about this lesson is that it is NOT some "quick fix", quite the opposite. But it is a structured way forward, learning the triads all over the fretboard and I like the fact that it is going to take some time, as long as I know what to do. This way this lesson is more like having a "live guitar teacher" who gives you a lesson to take home and practice, "´til we meet again next time", sort of!

[davejl]

You have a knack of answering the "why?" in my head just after you explain the "how'. Great teacher.

[Edward-MTBKR]

I was looking for a professional video on learning Triads, and it doesn't get better than this. Outstanding Instructor and presentation.

[kellyreinoso]

We all connect with certain teachers. Your lessons really inspire me. Thank you.

[Rambler]

The best TRIAD video.. your so calm and relaxing, I can actually understand what you're talking about.. Good Job!!! Bravo!!

[terrycurtin]

Excellent work Adrian. I am nearly 67. Played pro for 3 decades. Was signed with UKs Chysalis when they went belly up.
You detail has brought me back to life as a player. We didn't have you tube. We didn't know we were playing a pentatonic scale. Lol. We did of course.
Best teacher on the web. Yes better than the big name studio guys some I know well
You keep it simple and suddenly things come together instead of flying over peoples head.
Great job. Patron cash on the way

[zenboy]

Having progressed from bass to 6 string I always found I was limited to barre chords and the like. After learning the importance of the triad inversion thing from you and Tomo Fujita I now can play chords all over the neck and have a way better understanding of the fretboard too. Cheers.

[JeighNeither]

The Tele thru the vox sounds delicious. They both have amazing tone.

[PR-BEACHBOY]

Am really enjoying this lesson! In particular because I can the the relationship to the “CAGED” shapes which when looked at sequentially, has made finding the other triad shapes easier.

[paulpulati]

Great lesson, Adrian, and it comes along at just the right time for me in my deep dive into the fretboard. Fretboard knowledge indeed should be learned at the beginning stages of learning to play guitar. All of you beginners out there, LEARN THE Take it from one who didn't. When you learn to SEE it, amazing things 👍 Thanks very much, and keep up the good work.

[insalinity]

For me, I find it easiest to learn by contextualising the theory. The techniques you show in your video are almost exactly the approach I have taken over the past 5 weeks to internalise triads and their inversions. I would focus on a string set, understand the root, first, and second inversions by harmonising the C major scale up and down the neck until I was comfortable and then straight into progressions. I IV V, i iv V, ii V I IV, ii V i IV, I vi ii V, iii IV V, iii V i IV. It starts to come together pretty quickly once you see the relationships. After that I would take lead-sheets from the Real Book and do effectively the same thing, using the nearest triads. Then onto the next strings set, and then the next.

Awesome lesson; I took a lot out of your melody approach.

[CraigFranklinmusic]

Excellent! I love triads although I am not fluent as I would like to be. One of my top songs I used some basic triads as backing chords then had a world class guitarist improvise over them and it was wonderful. Plus triads can break you out of the hum-drum “cowboy chords” and “bar chords”.

[jemsophia]

oh my i've been playing guitar for >20 years and this blew my mind

[danturner]

Thank you for all your videos. By far the most articulate, logical and demonstrative training on YT. I've been playing for decades and always learn something important to progress.

[dan-]

Thanks for this video. I've actually been learning triads for the past 3 days, and today I realised I didn't know why I am learning them apart from maybe becoming more familiar with the fretboard. So it's good to know it will come in handy. Cheers!

[buddhamus]

Nice lesson. I loved your suggested way to practice the triads. You've made the practice lesson less mechanical and more musical, plus a lot more fun. It sinks into the brain and fingers easier and a bit faster. I also enjoy the part where you provide us with a look into the gear you use. Thanks again for another great video.

[antoniogee]

Wow, great lesson! I have been studying triads for about year now and coming up with my own ways to practice them This lesson really takes it to that next level and combines things in a more logical and musical way. Thanks!