Triads are the DNA of tonal music. This is a fundamental element that we improvisers must understand, hear and master in order to improvise melodic phrases freely.
Practicing and mastering triads will help you with:
• your technique
• your ear training
• your ability to anticipate harmony
• memorizing chords changes
• improvisation
In this series of short video lessons, you will learn why the triads in music are so important, how it has been used by masters improvisers through examples by pianists Bill Evans and Michel Petrucciani and how you can practice to be a better improviser.
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Video Lessons:
In this lesson we are looking at a solo by pianist Bill Evans to see how he improvises with triads.
Let’s see why the triads are so important. Did you know you can do that with the primary triads?
Did you know that you can harmonize each scale degree with one of the primary Triads I, IV, V?
Here is the C major scale and you can harmonize C with the c major Triad, the I Triad or with the IV chord. When you go to scale degree 2, you can harmonize it with the chord V, dominant chord, which resolves nicely to C major which scale degree 3. Scale degree 4 your harmonize it with the subdominant chord the IV chord.
Scale degree 5 can be harmonized with the V chord and the one chord. Scale degree 6 can be harmonized with the IV chord, scale degree 7 can be harmonized with the V chord and we come back to our tonic chord.
This is already a harmonic progression: I, IV, V, I. You can understand now, why those Triads and that harmonic progression are really the DNA of tonal music and you can already start composing and improvising with this material.
Here is a great exercise to practice the primary triads with voice leading!
In this video I want to share with you a workout to practice the major Triads in the major scale. That means the tonic Triad, the subdominant Triad and dominant Triad. In the major scale, we have three Major Triads the tonic subdominant and dominant. Basically the Triad based on scale degree one, the triad based on scale degree 4 and the triad based on scale degree 5.
Why? Because with verse three Triads, you can harmonize each single note of the major scale. All right, so we’re going to go up to scale. All right, and we’re going to practice each Triad that we can harmonize with.
So basically on my first degree DO, I can play the C major Triad or the F Major triad second inversion. And I go up to the D.
My D note is can be harmonized only by the G major Triad. When I go to E that’s the C major Triad and so on.
Let’s have a look at a solo by pianist Michel Petrucciani and how he uses triads!
Here are some examples of Triads that I identified in the solo of Michel Petrucciani on Someday My Prince Will Come.
On B-flat major 7 he’s playing the B-flat major Triad nothing extraordinary. However, we see that he’s keeping that B-flat major Triad on D7 and that gives us the sharp nine, flat 13 and the root. Then it goes to G Minor triad over Eb major seven.
Then G augmented with this flat 13.
On C Minor 7 he is playing G Minor triad.
And then melodically you improvise with those Triads.
I can create a Melody targeting those specific notes from the triads and I can do that over and over again and without really repeating myself. I’m using the same idea, I’m repeating the idea, but I’m not playing a lick that sounds always exactly the same.
We talked previously about the primary triads I, IV and V which are major triads. What about the minor triads? Let’s find out!
If you have watched the previous video, you know that we can harmonize each scale degree with one of the primary Triads I, IV, V. If you haven’t watched that video I invite you to watch this video first and then watch this new video here.
I’m going to show you that you can also harmonize each scale degree of the major scale with one of the three minor Triads which are on scale degree 6, 2 and 3.
So, the note C can be harmonized with A minor my sixth chord, then I can go to D and harmonize it with D Minor, E can be harmonized with E minor and A minor, and go to F harmonize with D Minor. G is harmonized by E minor. A is harmonized by a minor or D Minor, B is harmonized with E minor and I arrive and land back on A minor.
So in C major, those are the chord VI-, II- and III-, but you can notice that this is also the A natural minor. In that case it’s going to be the same pattern as in the major scale: IV, V, I.
You can see again that those harmonic progressions, those Triads are again foundational and fundamental in the tonal system. As we saw with the major Triads, you got a practice those ideas in all 12 keys so that your brain get confident and fluent with those puzzles.
Resources:
Important things to remember:
• Knowing is not the same thing as doing. You must implement what you have learned, you must practice it, and practice it in all 12 keys.
• Don’t underestimate the value of fundamentals, don’t overestimate your mastery of fundamentals.
• Practice with a metronome or you can go home.
• Keep swingin’!
Masterclass: Introduction to triadic improvisation
Available in English and French!
Here are the topics of this masterclass:
• review of the primary major and minor triads with voice leading
• example on Afternoon In Paris
• example on the blues
• using tritone substitutions
• Sus4 chords
• modern non-functional harmony
An 8-page PDF with examples and exercises is provided.
Now only $5!!!
Click ONLY once on the purchase button 🙂
2 comments on “Why the triads are so important and how to use them”
Watch the beautiful documentary about Michel Petrucciani:
Check out pianist Dulce practicing a transcription we studied in JVL. This is a solo by Michel Petrucciani and we discussed his choice of triads 🙂