Playing triads as two notes a sixth apart
With
Tim RichardsLearn the left hand shapes for G, C and D7 chords on the piano.
What's in the course
20 lessons (0h 40m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Exploring a New Left-Hand Style
It's now time to explore a completely new style of left hand.
Like shells and tritones, this concept has just two notes, but this time it's based on the triad rather than on the seventh chord.
Open Triads
So, you remember that in Eau de Cologne, you played an open triad like this.
Another way to get a more open sound is to simply leave out the middle note of the triad.
- With a root position triad like G, that gives you a root and fifth. Not always ideal, but with a first inversion, if you leave out the middle note, you get two notes a sixth apart.
- Likewise, with the second inversion, you leave out the G, and you get another sixth.
So, the major triad has these two open sixths. These sixths have a very sweet open sound and make a change from always playing triads in close position.
Example: Three Chord Trick
The next tune, Three Chord Trick, uses them for the G and C chords alongside a root position D7 chord.
- So here's the G,
- There's the C,
- And there's the D7.
These are the same chords as you might use for a blues in G. However, this isn't a blues sequence. The fact that we're not including any sevenths apart from the D7 chord makes this not a very bluesy tune.
It's a bit like Suwanee River; the overall tonality is more major.
Soloing Tips
In your solo, it's probably best to avoid the blues scale and to play major pentatonics instead.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
