triads_diminished_root-voice_cycle-of-4ths_alternating-sets-of-3strings

triads_diminished_root-voice_cycle-of-4ths_alternating-sets-of-3strings

Guitar Music Education

These diminished triad exercises are presented in the same order as the major and minor triads.
However, the 1st and 2nd sets of strings are much easier to practice because the fingerings on the 3rd and 4th sets of strings require difficult stretches of the fretting hand.

Starting with exercises between the 1st and 2nd sets of strings are ideal technical practice because the pinky and index fingers stay the same, and the only difference between the chords is that the ring finger is added on the 1st set of three strings, and the middle finger is added on the 2nd.

When things don't change much during practicing, we can think more about things like how we are seated, how much pressure we are using with our hands, naming notes, etc... Having some measure of mundane practice helps with building a stable base of our playing technique. If we are playing songs with musical and emotional tension all the time, we don't get a sense of what physical tension is required to play. For those reasons, I think it's beneficial to always have some bland technique exercises in practice routines.

Practice tip:
To cope with the physical stretch required for some of these diminished chords, try something called 'sequential planting' of the fretting hand fingers. Instead of trying to press all the fingers down at the same time, start with the pinky, then the middle, and finally stretch the index finger. You will have to pluck the notes individually instead of strumming the chord, but the fretting hand stretching won't be as difficult.

Different parts of the fretboard have different challenges. Reaching beyond the 12th fret can be difficult on some guitars, even though the frets are closer together up there. Be kind to yourself if the notes don't sound perfectly. I find chords between the 5th and 10th positions on the guitar to be the easiest to fret. If you have difficulties playing all these chords, start with only playing the chord changes that are in the middle of the fretboard, especially with these diminished triads.

D.J. Ellis https://djellis.net

2024-02-13

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