Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

MicroLesson: ML111 – Compliment “Cowboy Chords” with these 3 triad shapes!

Description

MicroLesson (ML111) – Have you ever been in a situation where a person (or people) are strumming cowboy chords and you want to play a different rhythm, to compliment what’s going on without copying what they’re doing?

This lesson is exactly that. 3 triad positions (on the first 3 strings) that will allow you to play major and minor chords all over the fretboard.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

Part 2 - For Premium Members

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Slow Walkthrough

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  3. guinn e says

    hi brian
    just wondering if in your huge collection of guitars you have any classical guitar ?
    do you ever try to play any classical stuff
    i would love an answer from you or a lesson
    regards
    david clancy

    • Brian says

      I do have a couple of classical (nylon) string guitars. I play it around the house, but never on video – mainly because it doesn’t have fret markers and i know i’ll get roasted!

    • Rob N says

      Hi James,

      I found this bit confusing too because Brian normally plays that 9 and 6 over a major chord, but here it’s over the relative minor (Emin).

      You’re right, the ‘stair-step shape’/C#min triad would work as an E6, but you probably wouldn’t want to play that in this context (a song in G).

      It’s confusing because the stair step ‘Bmin triad’ contains the same notes (B,D,F#) as Emin9 (E,G,B,D,F#) and E9 (E,G#,B.D,F#). In this context, it’s working as an Emin9 over an E minor chord.

      Perhaps Brian led to further confusion by saying the triad works here because ‘it doesn’t have a third in it’. But the third of a Emin9 is a G note, which isn’t out of key, while the third of an E9 (G#) would be.

      I think I’ve got that right, but welcome any corrections.

        • Rob N says

          Hi Brian,

          Thanks for replying. I understand that in this context, the ‘stair step’ minor triad is acting as an Emin9, because the underlying chord is and E min and we are adding the D and F#.

          Is it correct to say that in a different context, for example if the underlying chord was an E major, the same triad would act as an E9?

  5. Chris G says

    If you are new to Brian’s great lessons, stick at it. Had I seen this 2 months ago I would have struggled. Pick the genre you like and mine the content. As between lessons there is sometimes repetition – which is extremely valuable. You begin to recognise ‘ Ah that’s the 6ths run or that’s the augmented embellishment ‘ Then take a song you like and apply it…even a peice of what you’ve learned and you can start to improvise and be a more interesting player. The rhythm lessons are the best to make a start and grow your playing. Thank you Brian !

  7. Peter W says

    Hi Brian and thanks for another great and useful lesson. You mention in the video that you have problems with humidity for your guitars and I live in Sweden and have the same problem myself, especially during the winter. I live in Sweden. I was wondering if you talked about that problem in any of your lessons?
    Kind regards Peter

    • Brian says

      i have mentioned the humidity issues a few times throughout the years but haven’t made a full video on it – i probably should though because we all deal with it in one form or another. I basically put my good guitars in a home made humidity “tent” and keep them in it all winter, while the humidity levels drop. I do that to keep them from drying out.

  8. Adrian H says

    Hi Brian – Great lesson and one I realise is ideal for a ‘Chicago’ tuned tenor guitar . I am awaiting delivery of a 1954 Gibson TG 50 archtop tenor and I am eagerly searching your site for instantly adaptable material . Perhaps you or other members could please point me towards some lessons on ActiveMelody which are ideally suited to this instrument.
    My very grateful thanks for the vast wealth of material you have provided to premier members like me over the years. Although I have been playing fingerstyle acoustic guitar since i was a teenager [ Now 74 years old]my goal remains the same – never stop learning and improving.
    Kind regards
    Adrian
    Belfast- Northern Ireland

  14. cbuck says

    Even when I think I’ve seen it before there is something new or much needed reinforcement. Thanks Brian
    When you say because of humify you mean lack of humify right? I live in Norfolk and have gas heat, and it is so dry I can’t have a
    nice guitar i almost ruined a
    co 8 it caved in, a guitar shop saved it, I sold it when you say I put it up do you have a
    special humidified room?
    l

  17. William B says

    This helped me a lot. I wasn’t good with embellishments because I wouldn’t skip strings or repeat strings to get a nice melody. Or arpeggiate. I don’t know why. So I’m working slowly with each triad. That Em using only the 5th, 7th, and 9th was good news to me. Thanks!

  21. William F says

    Great lesson! Very useful. I noted in the walk down from V to I you did it chromatically–in this case D-C-B-A-G. However what you didn’t mention is that the triads follow the I ii iii IV V iv vii-dim (M-m-m-M-M-m-dim)pattern. It’s an opportunity to reinforce several theoretical concepts. It may be obvious to most of your subscribers. I’ve been working on double stops and knowing that really helped me play them on all adjacent strings. THANKS!

  25. Georg B says

    Hi Brian,
    Thank you for sharing your “secrets” with us. In the part where you discuss how to get from a G to an E minor chord, or basically from a major chord to its parallel minor chord, it’s great to know that with the E-shape one can find a substitute chord for the parallel minor chord via the “stairstep-shape” so easily. You say that this is not theoretical but that doesn’t matter at all, because that’s exactly the knowledge we need to be able to play along with others. I love the “grammar” behind it and it helps my understanding, yet for a real life scenario these little “secrets” are the true gems.
    All the best,
    Georg

  28. Michael L says

    Hey Brian. I have one question. At the end of part two you mention that you put your good guitars away not to crack them by whatever (humidity).
    Is there something special? You have them in a case? Cold room, warm room? Thank you

  30. Anthony I says

    The reason the B works before the Em is that if you play the 5 of a chord BEFORE the chord it’s a nice introduction to the chord. For example, if I play a 1,6,4,5 progression ( C , Am, F, G) I can play C then the 5th of Am, Em THEN Em. Then before the F Play C ( 5th of F) THEN F. Try it. It sounds so cool. Maybe give a lesson in that.

  32. Scott W says

    Hi Brian,
    I am learning this lesson. It’s easy fingering but understanding the chord names is confusing. I just try to memorize via the tab and play with my finger style. I also like the guitar you used. It looks like beautiful instrument.

  35. Michael Q says

    Hey! Brian
    First of all, I would really like to thank you. Your Lessons are very informative and easy to follow along. You have given me some very essential and valuable information. I’ve been noodling on the guitar for 40 years now. I couldn’t seem to get it. Within a week I learned to use the cage system to improvise my soloing. Even my wife was impressed. I’ve subscribed to a few online guitar lessons. I never seemed to get anywhere. The lessons were confusing. all I did was get frustrated. I would recommend your lessons to everyone. I enjoy playing guitar again.
    I want to thank you again Brian. I really appreciate it.

  36. Nick_66 says

    Hi Brain! That’s a nice looking resonator you got there. I own a National Resophonic M2 and a Triolian version. Nice guitars but hard to play them! Thinking of getting other strings for them because I start to develop some pain in my left index finger when playing on them. Which gauge strings do you use?

    By the way, how many guitars do you have in your collection? Maybe make a video of them showcasing them one by one! 🙂

  39. Michael D says

    Very helpful reinforcement of just how versatile triads can be. I love this lesson as it allows you to just sit and strum very basic chords but mix up where you play them. I’ve spent about an hour and a half doing just that…

  40. Mark B says

    I love this lesson. Another lesson idea might be the same idea, but this time complementing cowboy chords with triads on the next string set – d,g, and b strings. Add in the associated double stops with all of these shapes from both string sets and we’re really cooking with gas as an accompaniment guitarist!

  45. Wayne W says

    Great lesson, Brian. Love the resonator. A lesson on humidity and dryness issues would be appreciated. I live in Ottawa,Canada. It is extremely dry here in the winter. Even with a humidifier it is difficult to get the humidity to above 45%.

  47. Paul T says

    Hi Brian

    Thanks for another great lesson. Love the resonator. I played a Mule at a guitar show in Vancouver a few years ago. Very cool. I recently restrung my Gretsch Boxcar and have it tuned in standard at the moment. It sounds great as a second guitar, especially for the kind of lead work that you are so good at. Now all I need to do is find another guitarist to jam with so I can practice soloing using triads.

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