In music, triads are the foundational building blocks used to create chords. We use them to outline harmony, which is the “secret sauce” for creating melodic solos and fluid improvisation.

In our previous lesson, we covered How to Practice Major Triads. Now that you have those shapes under your fingers, the transition to minor is simple. By changing just one note, you unlock a completely different emotional landscape and double your fretboard vocabulary.

This lesson covers how to play minor triads, their inversions across the strings, arpeggio shapes, and specific patterns to help you master them.

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What is a Minor Triad?

A triad is a chord made up of three notes. A minor triad specifically uses the chord tones 1, b3, and 5.

The easiest way to learn minor triads is to compare them to the Major shapes you already know. To turn any Major triad into a minor triad, you simply lower the 3rd by one half-step (one fret).

• Major Triad: 1 – 3 – 5 (For example: C – E – G)
• Minor Triad: 1 – b3 – 5 (For example: C — Eb — G)

The interval from the root to the 3rd is 1.5 whole steps (a minor third), and from the 3rd to the 5th is 2 whole steps (a major third).

Minor Triad Formula

In contrast, Major triads are built on 3 notes using the chord tones 1, 3, and 5. For example, a C Major triad has the notes C, E, and G. See the Major triads lesson here.

Minor Triads Chart

With this formula in mind, here is chart of the 12 minor triad chords.

Minor Triad shapes on Different Strings

Let’s explore these shapes using the same horizontal approach we used in the Major triad lesson. We’ll use the C minor triad (C, Eb, G) for these examples.

Minor Triads on the 6th string

Here are three ways you can play a C minor triad starting on the 6th string below.

Minor Triads on the 5th string

The three shapes starting on the 5th string follow the same pattern as the 6th string except we adjust the fingerings when including open strings.

Minor Triads on the 4th string

The minor triad shapes starting on the 4th string look slightly different than the 6th and 5th string triad shapes.

Minor Triads on the 3rd string

The minor triad shapes starting on the 3rd string also have unique triad shapes that look different from the ones on the other strings.

All of these minor triad shapes can be applied to any root note on the same string. Make sure to adjust the fingerings whenever open strings are included.

Comparison Exercise: Play the Major version of these shapes from the previous lesson, then immediately play the minor version. Visualizing that “one-fret shift” is the key to mastering the these shapes across the fretboard.

Minor Triad Inversions

A chord inversions occurs when a note other than the root is in the bass (the lowest note).

• Root Position: Root (1) is the lowest note.
• 1st Inversion: The 3rd (b3) is the lowest note.
• 2nd Inversion: The 5th (5) is the lowest note.

Here is what this looks like in notation for a C minor triad.

Now let’s look at how to play a minor triad and it’s inversions starting on different strings below.

Minor Triads Guitar Chord Charts

The following charts show you what the minor triads look like in chord form for each string.

Minor triad chords on the 6th string

Minor triad chords on the 5th string

Minor triad chords on the 4th string

Minor triad chords on the 3rd string

When playing chord with open strings, make sure to adjust these fingerings to what is most comfortable for you.

Get the chart here!

Easily look up guitar chords with the Essential Guitar Chords Chart!

This chart covers how to play:

• Major chords
• Minor chords
• Major 7 chords
• Minor 7 chords
• Dominant chords
• Half diminished chords
• Diminished chords
• Chords starting on all (12) root notes
• Over 80+ chords!

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Minor Triad Arpeggios Shapes

For the previous examples, we have been learning minor triads horizontally across one string. In this section, we’ll be looking at the vertical triad shapes throughout the fretboard. Again, we’ll be using the C minor triad for the following examples.

Arpeggio shape 1

Arpeggio shape 2

Arpeggio shape 3

Arpeggio shape 4

Arpeggio shape 5

Keep in mind that fingerings change whenever you have open strings included in a triad. Experiment with different fingerings to see what works best for you.

Connecting Arpeggio Shape – Two Octaves

Here is an example of how to connect the minor triad shapes throughout the fretboard. We’ll be using the E minor triad for this example.

Connecting Minor Triad Shapes on the Fretboard

Here is how to connect these shapes to cover the entire neck using C minor as an example:

Minor Triad Exercises

The following exercises can be applied to any of the arpeggio shapes on the fretboard. Here are some pattern exercises over one area of the fretboard using an E minor triad.

3 Note Pattern

After playing three consecutive notes of a triad, repeat the pattern on the second to last note (E, G, B then G, B, E, etc…)

4 Note Pattern

After playing four consecutive notes of a triad, repeat the pattern on the second to last note (E, G, B, E then G, B, E, G, etc…)

Note Skipping Pattern

For this pattern, you skip one note of the triad then repeat the pattern on the chord tone below it (E, B, then G, E, etc…)

Putting it All Together: Chord Progressions

If you are playing over a series of chords (a progression), you can use triads to “weave” through the harmony by finding the closest related notes. This is a powerful tool for both rhythm accompaniment and melodic soloing.

Example 1

Example 2

Tips for Smooth Transitions

Just like with Major triads, focusing on these two pro habits will make your playing sound more connected:

• Look for “Anchors”: Identify notes that are shared between two chords when possible. Instead of lifting your whole hand, keep those fingers “anchored” to act as a pivot point for the next shape.
• Practice Minimum Movement: Try to find the closest inversion for the next chord so your hand moves as little as possible. This is called “voice leading,” and it’s the secret to making your chord changes sound fluid and connected rather than jumpy.
  
  

Minor Triads Quiz

To test your knowledge on Major Triads, try to figure out the three chord tones for each of the chords below. *Tip: When counting the steps between notes, the notes B to C and E to F are the exceptions which are a half step apart.

1. F minor triad
2. D minor triad
3. A minor triad
4. B minor triad
5. G minor triad
6. E minor triad
7. Bb minor triad

(Answers revealed in the next section).

Minor Triad Quiz Answers

Here is the answer key for the previous quiz questions.

1. F, Ab, C
2. D, F, A
3. A, C, E
4. B, D, F#
5. G, Bb, D
6. E, G, B
7. Bb, Db, F
   
   

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Wrapping up

Mastering minor triads will help you master the fretboard. By connecting these shapes to the Major triads you already know, you’re gaining the freedom to navigate chord progressions with confidence. Start using these building blocks to bridge the gap between chords and real music.

Want to keep learning? Check out these related lessons:

• Major Triads
• Spread Triad Chords
• Minor 7 Arpeggios
  
  

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