This is a bass triads lesson that will teach you:
- What a bass triad is
- How to play triads on bass
- How triads are constructed
And if you haven’t done so already, make sure you check out my lessons about intervals and bass dyads, because they’ll make it easier to understand triads.
Table of Contents
What is a triad?
A triad is just a 3 note chord containing a root, a variation of a 3rd, and a variation of a 5th.
There are 4 main types of triads:
- Major triad
- Minor triad
- Diminished triad
- Augmented triad
Bass triads explained
Major triads
The major triad is a 3-note chord with a root, major 3rd, and perfect fifth.
The C major triad is played like this:
It has the root note C, the major 3rd E, and the perfect fifth G.
To play the C major chord on bass:
- Put your index finger on the 9th fret of the G string (the E note)
- Put your ring finger on the 10th fret of the D string (the C note)
- Put your middle finger on the 10th fret of the A string (the G note)
This gives you the C major triad!
And, like any other chord, you can transpose this.
For example, if you take it up a whole-step, you’ll play the D major triad.
Minor triads
The minor triad is a 3-note chord with a root, minor 3rd, and perfect fifth.
The C minor triad is played like this:
If you take the C major triad, and move the E note down a half-step to the note Eb, which is the minor 3rd, you’ll get the C minor triad.
The C minor triad has the notes: C-Eb-G
To play the C minor chord on bass:
- Put your index finger on the 8th fret of the G string (the Eb note)
- Put your pinky finger on the 10th fret of the D string (the C note)
- Put your ring finger on the 10th fret of the A string (the G note)
Now you know how to play the minor triad!
Diminished triad
Now you’ll learn how to play a diminished triad on the bass guitar.
This will be easier to understand if you already know how to play the minor triad, as shown in the previous section.
The diminished triad is a 3-note chord with a root, minor 3rd, and flattened fifth.
If you take the C minor triad, and move the G note down a half-step to the note Gb, which is the minor 5th, you’ll get the C diminished triad.
The C diminished triad is played like this:
The C diminished triad has the notes: C-Eb-Gb
To play the C diminished chord on bass:
- Put your index finger on the 8th fret of the G string (the E note)
- Put your pinky finger on the 10th fret of the D string (the C note)
- Put your middle finger on the 9th fret of the A string (the G note)
And that’s how you play a diminished triad on the bass.
Augmented triad
Now you’re going to learn about the Augmented triad.
Augmented Triads are easier to understand if you’ve already learned about major triads, which you looked at during the start of the post.
You can think of an augmented triad like a major triad with a sharpened 5th.
For example, if you take the C major Triad and move the G note up a half step to the G# note, you’ll get a C augmented triad.
The augmented triad is a 3-note chord with a root, major 3rd, and sharpened fifth.
The C augmented triad is played like this:
The C augmented triad has the notes: C-E-G#
To play the C augmented chord on bass:
- Put your index finger on the 9th fret of the G string (the E note)
- Put your middle finger on the 10th fret of the D string (the C note)
- Put your middle finger on the 11th fret of the A string (the G note)
Thinking of an augmented chord shape as a staircase shape helps me remember it.
And that’s how you play an augmented triad on the bass guitar!
What to learn after triads
Now you’ve learned how to play triads on bass guitar!
Next, you need to learn how to play 7th chords on bass.
