Triads Jazz Piano Lesson
The triad is the basic building block of many different types of chord. Triads will more than likely be the first types of chords you come across and you should strive to learn them in all 12 keys to get a good grasp of the basics.
There are 4 different types of triads that you need to learn: major, minor, diminished and augmented. You may already be familiar with the major and minor triads but the diminished and augmented triads sound more unusual.
This lesson provides an introduction to triads and offers guidance on how to practice these essential chords in all 12 keys. We also then look at some exercises to get you familiar with triad inversions.
Downloadable Lesson Supplement
Download the triads lesson supplement containing the lesson notation and practice guidance:
What Is A Triad?
A triad is a 3 note chord stacked in third intervals. The interval of a third is the basic building block for chords. Triads are the simplest of all chords and will most likely be the first chords you will learn on the piano.
What Is A Diminished Triad?
Diminished chords are constructed by playing the root, b3rd and b5th of the major scale . So in C, we play the major triad and then flat the 3rd and 7th. We can do the same in G, major triad then flat the 3rd & 7th. Another way of looking at a diminished triad is a stack of minor thirds.
This is a very important triad to learn as you will find out when you watch the lessons of 7th chords. We use the diminished triad to build 2 different 7th chords so it’s good to have the shape firmly under your fingers.
Diminished chords use the circular symbol you can see next to the chord. They are also notated with the abbreviation ‘dim’. You should be aware that these symbols are used interchangeably.
What Is An Augmented Triad?
The augmented triad is the same as a major triad but with a sharp 5th. Sharp fifth simply means that the fifth note has been raised by half a step.
Augmented triads are the least common of the four types of triads but you do still need to understand how this chord is built.
Augmented chords use the ‘plus’ symbol you can see next to the chord. They are also notated with the abbreviation ‘aug’ and again these symbols are used interchangeably.
How To Invert Triad Chords
Next let’s look at changing the order of the notes of the triads — these are called inversions. 3 note chords can be inverted twice. When the root is on the bottom, we call this root position.
Next we have the 1st inversion. To get from root position to 1st inversion, we take the bottom note of the chord and move it to the top. Notice that this chord sounds different even though we are playing the same notes.
Next we have the 2nd inversion. To get from the 1st to the 2nd inversion, again we take the bottom note and move it to the top — again notice how this sound different. We could also find the 2nd inversion from root position by taking the top note and putting it on the bottom.
How To Arpeggiate Triads
Once you are comfortable with the inversions it’s time to start arpeggiating the triad shapes up and down the keyboard. Mastering this exercise will help you when you come to improvise.
Lesson Downloads
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Triads Notation & Worksheet File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
We have voiced minor 251 progressions with our left hand and so now it’s time to spread the notes across 2 hands to get bigger chords with more impact!
Learning and memorising all of the upper structure triads is a daunting task! This lesson introduces the upper structure cheat sheet.
Upper structure triads are complex sounding altered dominant chords. They will add texture and sophistication to your playing.
Practice Tips
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Start with major and minor triads: in the key of C and play a C major Triad. Now drop the 3rd down half a step to play a C minor triad. Now continue this exercise up the chromatic scale until you get back to C
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Mastering these exercises is a gradual process -- don't try to go through all 12 keys in 1 practice session if you are just starting out.
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The trick is to start your practice with 2 or 3 keys and then next time pick 3 different keys and keep going until you've mastered all of them.
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Also make sure you pick the right tempo to do these exercises -- if you play too fast you will lose accuracy and it becomes a pointless exercise.
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Remember to start slow and gradually build up the speed.
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Once you are comfortable with the shapes, you can experiment with inversions and arpeggios.
Hi hayden Where can I find the pdf files of the video (triads) ? Thank you
Hi Marc, here it is: http://www.pianogroove.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Triad-Worksheet.pdf – Thanks Hayden
When arpeggiating the triads, I noticed you didn’t use your left hand at all. Should you practice this exercise with both hands or just the left hand?
Hi Chris,
I would recommend practicing with both hands. However, understand that this takes time to master in all 12 keys.
In the left hand, you need to learn and master rootless voicings which you will play much more than the basic triad shape: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/rootless-chord-voicings/
As an example, you use these triads in your right hand in all upper structure triad voicings (that’s an intermediate/advanced topic but check it out) and many other areas of jazz and so that’s one reason I focused on the right hand here.
More information on upper structure triads can be found here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/upper-structure-triads/
I hope this helps.
Cheers, Hayden
am confused a bit by the definition of the dim chord in reviewing the triad lesson…dim equals root, b3 and b5th but then it skips and defines as adding a flat 3rd and the 7th…hmmm so not the b5th???,, i’m sure I will locate the answer as i follow the fingers i get stuck often on little things
Hi Cheryl,
That’s exactly correct… pick any key/scale and play the root, b3 and b5 and that will give you the diminished triad.
At ~7:45s i mention that the diminished triad is used to construct both the -7b5 chord and the diminished 7th chord… check out the lesson on 7th chords for more information on this.
The major and minor triads are by far the most important thing you need to learn here. I cover the other triads so to give students the bigger picture but you need to be able to visualise the major and minor triads in all 12 keys and be able to play them quickly on-demand.
Also, I talk about practicing inversions. This takes a long time to get down in all 12 keys so don’t fret about it. Basically you will always be revisiting this theory, it just helps to run through the drills that i outline, but don’t feel like this should be done in the short term… it takes time to get these shapes and sounds completely memorised.
Make sure you are also enjoying the jazz standard lesson whilst studying the theory… this will keep your practice fun and enjoyable as the theory can sometimes be a little overwhelming.
I hope this helps and any other questions just let me know 🙂
Cheers, Hayden
Thank you !
Hey Hayden,
Great and brilliant content! Really instructive!
About the exercise for learning the 12 major & 12 minor keys, could you please explain to me why there is a C#m instead of a Dbm?? and then why do we have Ebm instead of D#m and so on… ?? Is there any logical reasons or any rules regarding that?
Thank you so much.
Best,
Julian
Thanks Julian.
Good question!
Yes you are referring to ‘enharmonic equivalents’ there, which means that it’s the same note, or same chord on the keyboard, but spelt differently depending on what key you are playing in.
You will see some of these equivalents more frequently than others.
For example, F# and Gb is the most common one to see spelled differently, in different contexts. But ultimately, remember that the notes are the same, it’s simply how it’s spelled.
If you are in a ‘sharp key’ such as B Major or E Major, then that note is spelled as F#, and in same way, the triad built of that degree of the scale will be F#maj in the key of Bb, and F#m in the key of E Major.
However in a flat key, such as Db Major for example, that note is spelled as Gb, and the triad built of that note would be Gbmaj.
The Gb/F# ‘enharmonic equivalent’ is the most common one that you will see spelled differently. You may come across the others that you mention depending on the tune and the key it’s written in.
This is why I decided to include them here just so you are at least aware of this relationship.
I final important thing for you…
With lead sheets, the key signature is there to make the music easier to read and interpret. However, remember that in jazz it’s very important to learn all scales numerically and also learn chords and progressions numerically (think 251s, 1625s etc… ). . This will help free your mind from note names and get a deeper understanding of harmony.
Hope this helps, and any further questions just let me know.
Cheers!
Hayden
Hi Hayden,
Thanks for this clear explanation, it is really appreciated!
Best regards,
Julian
My pleasure Julian.
Happy to help out with any questions you may have.
Cheers,
Hayden
Thanks for the interesting content and clear explanations.
I have a question about fingering for triads. I’ve learned to play triads with the fingerings for the right hand: 135 for root position, 125 for the first inversion and 135 for the second inversion. And for the left hand: 531. 531 and 521. However, in the video I see that’s not the fingering used. What should be the correct fingering.
Regards,
JC
Hi Juan,
I’d recommend using the fingering that is most comfortable for you.
We all have different sized hands and fingers which can make certain fingering more comfortable in certain keys.
For some keys I will use 1-2-4 in my right hand, whilst in other keys, I will use 1-2-5.
The most important thing is to find a comfortable fingering and stick to it.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Hayden
Nice!
Hello, I have a general question about the minor scale: The natural minor scale is Aiolic. Which scale is played in harmonic and which in melodic? So I mean, what’s the scale called? I hope you understand my bad english
Hi Thorsten 👋
Good question.
There are 3 minor scales:
The Harmonic minor scale is used to create 251 progressions in minor keys. This is why it is called ‘harmonic’ because it can be used to create more interesting harmonic possibilities. We learn more about the harmonic minor scale in the upcoming lesson on the ‘Minor 251 Progression’ – https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/minor-251-progression/
The Melodic minor scale is most often used for improvisation and melodic development. The melodic minor fits very nicely under the fingers and so it is a useful scale for creating melodies. In this lesson we explore a Chet Baker line which uses the melodic minor scale over the C-7 chord: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/chet-baker-minor-251-line/
For more information on minor scales, check out our lesson here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/minor-scales-for-jazz-piano/
Also read the “Comments” section of the page which has lots of common Q&As.
Here are some useful forum posts on the minor scales and the role that they play in jazz harmony and improvisation:
The Natural 6/13th Over Minor Chords – https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/the-natural-6-13th-over-minor-chords/1572
Practicing Minor Scales – https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/practicing-minor-scales/2423
Minors in the Practice Guide – https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/minors-in-the-practice-guide/3005
Check out those posts and let me know if I can help further.
Cheers, Hayden
Hi Hayden,
Thanks for the wonderful lesson! I had a question about the fingering of the triad for both the left and the right hand. I usually use 1-2-4 fingering in the right hand and 5-2-1 fingering in the left hand. Also how would you adjust finger positions when arpeggiating through inversions?
Thanks a lot!
Rishi
Hi Rishi,
Good question!
There is no ‘set-in-stone’ rule for this so I’d recommend using the fingering that is most comfortable for you.
I just tried it myself on the piano with my right hand, and if I am starting the arpeggio in root position, I always play 1-2-4.
However, if I start my arpeggio with the triad in 1st inversion, I play 1-2-5, for example, if I have a C triad in 1st inversion which would be E-G-C, I would then arpeggiate up the keyboard with 1-2-5.
In the upcoming course on ‘Upper Structure Triads’ – https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/altered-harmony-upper-structure-triads/ – you will see that we play triads in many different inversions and so we can start the arpeggio in any of the inversions.
When inverting the triads up the keyboard, my fingering changes between 1-3-5 and 1-2-5 depending on the inversion.
My recommendation would just be to experiment, and find the fingering that feels the most comfortable, but also gives you the most control.
I hope this helps and enjoy the lessons.
Cheers, Hayden
Thanks again, Hayden!
Yes, thanks…
Hi Hayden,
When playing inversions we always use the same method by replacing the outer note to the other outer position, like CEG , EGC , GCE and back to CEG. This way we never encouter a G-E-C .
Is this G-E-C allowed and is it still a triad? (yes, it has 3 notes from the same scale ??) I can see that the distance is larger: M6 and m6 And if it’s correct, where would it be used?
About practice: I now practice my 12 triads following the circle of 5ths and many triads are getting familiar by their visual picture, so to speak. It’s like I have a photo of that triad in memory. But I only do the major triads and wanna do all 4 now. Would I still keep my visual rememberance ? I don’t want to lose that because I also use it to form my dom7 chords from it by simply adding ths m7 and changing the fingering.
Thanks, Lenny
Hi Wouter 👋🏻
Interesting question.
I can’t think of a time when I have voiced a triad like that.
The 3 inversions presented in this lesson are by far the most useful and versatile shapes to get comfortable with. In the subsequent courses we study Upper Structure Triads and you will see that it’s important to be comfortable with the 3 triad inversions in our right hand.
It’s a more advanced tutorial, but here is a nice introduction which I think you will find interesting: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/what-are-upper-structure-triads/
The main limitation of voicing a triad as you mention is the spread on the piano which makes it difficult – or impossible for many of us! – to play the 3 notes with 1 hand.
As you will see in the lesson above, the nice thing with the regular inversions is that we can play them comfortably in 1 hand which allows us to superimpose them over different voicings in our left hand.
For your second question:
I would recommend that you prioritise the major and minor triads over the diminished and augmented. Major and minor triads are essential building blocks for extended chords incorporating 9ths/11ths/13ths and so memorising the major/minor triad shapes will be a great asset when starting the course on extended chords.
I use the diminished 7th chord a lot in my playing and so I find it important to be able to visualise. The nice thing with the diminished 7th chord is that it’s a ‘symmetrical’ voicing built from stacked minor 3rds – Stacking minor 3rd takes us back to the root – so there are only 3 diminished 7th chords, and each one covers 4 keys.
In addition, each diminished 7th chord can function as a rootless dominant b9 chord in 4 keys. For example Cdim7 can function as a rootless b9 voicing for the following 4 dominant chords:
Hope that helps Wouter and let me know if you have any further questions.
Cheers, Hayden
Excellent lesson. Really well done.
Thanks John – glad you enjoyed the lesson.
Cheers! Hayden
Hey Hayden,
I just subscribed to your course and I’m already hooked. I have a question with you’re fingering for the triad arpeggiating, you seem to use always 124 124 etc… fingers for the whole sequence. I was once told to do 124 125 521 for the right hand and 531 531 521 for the left one. What do you suggest so I set this once in for all?
Thanks,
Simon from Paris
Sorry Hayden, I actually noticed that somebody asked the same question so you can disregard sorry about that.
No problem Simon – glad you found the answer.
Ultimately, use a fingering that is comfortable for you, and also be aware of the inversion you are starting on.
I cover more tips and advice for practicing this material in the foundations practice guide, you can find that here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/foundations-practice-guide/
Here to help if you have any other questions.
Cheers, Hayden
Thanks for your reply Hayden,
I’ve been going through the whole Foundation and extension chords lessons the last few days to make myself a well structured daily program for the next weeks/months, it’s really helping me finding the structure I’ve been lacking over the last years to really progress. I’m well confident it’s gonna work, great job on your website.
Simon
Cant access the course there seems to be a network error at your end. Do sort it out. Thanks.
Hi Amar,
Thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear you are having issues.
Please can you confirm that you are still experiencing the issue? I just watched the video without problems.
If you are still having issues, please can you try using a different browser (Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox etc… ) and let me know if the issue persists.
Please send the results to info(at)pianogroove.com and I will ensure this is fixed for you. Usually switching the browser will do the trick, and if you can let me know the browser that is causing you issues I will pass this onto our tech guys to investigate.
Cheers, Hayden
Hi Hayden,
The error persists. It says – hlsjs-lite: Network error. Maybe this error message might mean something to your IT/Network people by way of helping diagnose what’s wrong. I’m in India, if that’s of any help.
I have tried moving from Brave to Safari. Same result. I’m using an iPad OS version 15.5 it’s fully up to date. I have even rebooted the iPad but to no avail.
Many thanks,
Amar
Thanks Amar I have passed this onto the tech guys to investigate.
I will update you as soon as I hear back from them.
You could try using a different device or computer in the interim whilst we get to the bottom of the issue.
Cheers, Hayden
Hello again,
Here’s some additional information that might help your team.
It plays till about the 10 second mark – then it cuts off. Sometimes it also says – html5 file not found.
Furthermore, it’s the exact same problem on my iPhone, my Android phone and my Desktop iMac.
Since it’s working for you, it might be something about serving the content to India that’s triggering this behaviour, but really, that’s pure speculation. These IT bugs are sometime a nightmare to figure out.
Will check back later tonight.
Best,
Amar
Many thanks Hayden. Everything seems to be working perfectly now.
Amar
Sorry if there’s a way to do this I don’t see, but it would be super helpful to be able to slow down this video. I haven’t yet memorized all the sharps/flats in every key and would love to be able to use this triad lesson to help in that process, but it goes by too quickly for me to be able to see the notes and play along so I can use muscle memory to help remember. Is that on purpose? Are we supposed to just play scales until we’ve memorized them all first?
Hello Hayden. I really enjoyed this lesson. Everything is clear and to the point. I am new to Pianogroove but everything seems easy to follow in the first 5 lessons. Thanks!
Hi David,
Thanks for the comment and I’m glad that you enjoyed the lesson.
I would recommend watching the below lesson on “Upper Structure Triads”. You will then see why it is important to be able to invert and arpeggiate triads and how this fits into more advanced jazz topics:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/what-are-upper-structure-triads/
I recommend that new jazz piano students start learning upper structure triads as soon as possible. I feel that it’s important to always “get our toes wet” in more advanced theory so that we can see what’s coming next in the upcoming lessons and courses.
The triad drills do take time to master, but don’t let that hold you back from progressing onto more advanced lessons.
Also check out this seminar which covers the “essential jazz theory” and the main milestones ahead for new jazz students –
https://www.pianogroove.com/live-seminars/jazz-voicings-for-beginners/
You will find the advice and guidance in the seminar useful and download the PDF file in the “Seminar Resources” which contains links to each of the drills I mention in the seminar.
Let me know if I can help further and enjoy the lessons!
Cheers, Hayden
I noticed you used 1-2-3 for most chords and inversions instead of a more traditional 1-3-5, or 1-2-4…
Should we not worry about fingerings at this stage? How important is fingering in the fastest skill mastery?
Hi Demetri,
Great question!
The goal of these exercises is to clearly visualise the inversions and the arpeggios. Whilst it can be a good idea to stick to a specific fingering, often when playing jazz voicings the fingering will change based on the chord type and what is happening in the melody of the jazz standard.
I recommend that new jazz piano students start learning ‘upper structure triad voicings’ as soon as possible. I feel that it’s important to always “get our toes wet” in more advanced theory so that we can see what’s coming next in the upcoming lessons and courses.
Here are some lessons we have on USTs:
https://www.pianogroove.com/live-seminars/understanding-upper-structure-triads/
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/upper-structure-triads/
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/upper-structures-practice/
Once you see how triads are used in more complex jazz progressions you will see that our fingering must be dynamic at times to accommodate the voicing shapes and the flow of the progressions.
Take a look over the lessons above and let me know if I can help further.
Cheers, Hayden
When I do the Triad Arpeggio Drill I’m trying to say not only the name of the chord in my head, but also the names of the 1 3 and 5 notes so I can remember them. What I’m not sure of is how to name them when they can be either sharp or flat. You sometimes use both names, is that the best approach?
Hi Sarah,
Great question!
Ultimately this depends on the key that we are playing in. For example a 251 in Gb Major, we have Ab-7 to Db7 to Gbmaj7. The triads of these chords would be Ab-, Db, and Gb.
If we have a 251 progression in the key of F# Major, we then have G#-7, to C#7, to F#maj7. The triads of these chords would be G#-, C#, and F#.
Whilst these chords and progressions can be spelt differently, the notes we play (and therefore the drills) are identical.
For the purpose of the drills outlined in this lesson, the most important thing is to get our fingers around the inversions and arpeggio shapes.
It’s important to understand the keys where we commonly come across enharmonic equivalents, these are the keys of Gb/F# as outlined above, the keys of Db/C#, and the keys of B/Cb.
When I’m drilling these keys around the circle of 5ths, I usually think of Gb, Db, and B, instead of F#, C# and Cb, which for me makes the drills easier to work through.
However when I do come across a 251 in F# major on a lead sheet for example, I know that this is enharmonic to a 251 in Gb major, and so it doesn’t really matter which version i drilled, as they contain the same notes.
Does that help?
The most important thing is that you are aware of the enharmonic equivalents, and that you know the 3 keys (outlined above) which are prone to enharmonic spellings so that when you see these progressions on a lead sheet it doesn’t throw you off.
It’s also important that you are seeing these notes as 1-3-5, whether it’s a Gb major triad, or a F# major triad. For me personally I always think and analyse my playing from a numeric standpoint which I find is much more functional with jazz harmony.
Let me know if I can help further here Sarah and enjoy the lessons!
Cheers, Hayden
Thanks, that’s really helpful. I figure I’ll focus on memorizing 1-3-5 names/numbers (then 7s and 9s)based on the root. I just got thrown off by the inversions that are also diatonic triads in a different key!
Hi Hyden
I have a doubt about fingering, you play 3-2-1 finger for Root – third and fifth respectively. Must be so for some reason ? … or could be 5 – 3 – 1 ?
Thank you
… I mean with left hand
Hi Carlos,
Yes I explain above that when playing jazz piano, triad shapes are not very common in the left hand. Instead we more often play shell voicings and rootless voicings.
There are some instances when we play triads in our left hand for minor chords, and often there is a descending voice where the lowest note drops by a half step. In this scenario, I find it much more comfortable to have the 3rd finger on the lowest note, check out this lesson and you will see what I mean:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/basic-minor-chord-voicings/
I hope that helps Carlos, and remember to start playing the jazz standards in addition to learning the theory. The theory takes a while to master and so playing the jazz standards will give you lots of enjoyment and sense of progression.
I recommend new students to start the following 2 courses:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/cocktail-improvisation-for-beginners/
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/bluesy-stride-piano-beginners/
Let me know if I can help further and enjoy the lessons!
Cheers, Hayden
Sorry if this is a really basic question but i see this a lot and i never understand.
When you are adding intervals to the C Major triad around 3:00 Mins when you add 7 you add the B and you get a C Maj7 when you add the 9 you add the D and you get Cmaj9 this i understand
However when you add the 11 isn’t the 11 an F however an F# is played. How does this work if this not is not part of the C Scale. I note its called CMaj9 (#11) but why isnt it just a CMaj911.
Hope it makes sense
Hi Dalian 👋
It’s not a basic question at all – it’s a great question!
The reason that we avoid the natural 11th on major and dominant chords is that it creates a half step interval between the major 3rd and the 11th (we can also see the 11th as the 4th) and this half step interval creates a lot of dissonance and an unpleasant sound.
For this reason we sharpen the 11th by a half step when playing major and dominant chords which gives us the #11. This creates a much more palatable sound and adds an interesting ‘colour’ or ‘flavour’. It’s worth noting that the #11 sound is quite a rich and unusual sound, and so we wouldn’t use it all of the time.
For minor chords, the minor 3rd and the 11th are a whole step apart, which is why the natural 11th works great over minor chords, because we don’t have the half step between the 3 and the 11, or the 3 and the 4, however you want to look at it.
But for major and dominant chords, if we want to add the 11th, it will most likely be the #11.
You might like to check out the first lesson in our course on chord extensions where I explain this in more detail: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/extended-chords-voicings/
You might also like to check out the first module of this course where we cover lots of voicings for major, minor, and dominant chords:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/how-to-play-solo/
I highly recommend students to study the course on extended chords in tandem with the foundations course, as there is a lot of overlap between the concepts, exactly as you asked in your question.
I hope that helps Dalian – let me know if you have any further questions.
Talk soon, Hayden