4th Triads in 1, 4, 5 Chord Progressions on the Three Highest Strings Voicing (1, 3, 5), (5, 1, 3), (5, 1, 3)

1:1  Triads are three note chords, where each of the three notes in each three note chord is a different interval of a 7 note major scale, specifically the Ionian mode.

1:2  A 1, 4, 5 chord progression is the most common chord progression.

1:3  Because it is a 1, 4, 5 chord progression, it is a pattern of 3 chords in progression, where 1, 4, and 5 represent the root notes of the chords.  The 1 of “1, 4, 5,” represents a chord relative to the first note of the major scale.  The 4 of “1, 4, 5,” represents a cord relative to the fourth note of the major scale.  And, the 5 of “1, 4, 5,” represents a chord relative to the fifth note of the major scale.

4:3  1, 4, 5 chord progressions take their name, 1, 4, 5, by the root notes of the scale they occupy.

1:4  Every chord in a 1, 4, 5 chord progression is a major chord, taking its root notes as the 3 major notes of the Ionian scale, the 1^st note, 4^th note and the 5^th note.

1:5  Every note of the 1 chord, the 4 chord, and the 5 chord is contained within the respective Ionian scale pattern of the key that the progression is played in.

1:6  There are seven notes to the Ionian scale, which should sound very familiar if played in order.  Additionally the Ionian sound can be played in any key, and that is true for any mode.  The notes are of Ionian Mode are Doe (which when Doe is used as a root note in any key the result sound is Ionian), Ray (which when Ray is used as a root note in any key the result sound is Dorian), Me (which when Me is used as a root note it any key the result sound is Phrygian), Fa (which when Fa is used as a root note in any key the result sound is Lydian), Sew (which when Sew is used as a root note in any key the result sound is Mixolydian), La (which when La is used as a root note in any key, the result sound is Aeolian), Tea (which when Tea is used as a root sound in any key the result sound is Locrian).  However, for this exercise, because it consists of 1, 4, and 5, chords, the only sounds that will be used are, Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian, respectively, but not the Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, and Locrain modes.

1:7  In any key the Ionian scale follows the pattern Root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, where a whole step is 2 notes (2 frets) higher than a previous note, and a half step is 1 note (1 fret) higher than a previous note.

1:8  With respect to the Ionian major scale, the intervals of the first chords of these exercises will always be stacked as (1, 3, 5).  Thus, the 1 chord has a 1, 3, and 5 pattern of the Ionian pattern.

1:9  With respect to the Ionian major scale, the intervals of the 4 and 5 chords, which are the 2^nd and 3^rd chords of the 1 4 5 progression have roots considered as the 1 note of a different Ionian mode, but it sounds Lydian in comparison to the 1 chord and the 5 chord.  The 5 chord has its root considered as the 1 note of yet another different Ionian mode, but it sounds Mixolydian in comparison to the 1 chord and the 4 chord.

1:10  Each root is “1” of the three different chords, each consisting of 1, 3, and 5 intervals, where each chord is labeled according to its respective Ionian scale, such that the root note in labeling a chord is always Ionian, though the sound of the 1 chord is still Ionian, the sound of the 4 chord is Lydian, and the sound of the 5 chord is Mixolydian.

1:11  The first root will be 1, the root note of the Ionian scale.  The 2^nd major root note of the major scale is the 4^th note of the Ionian mode.  The 3^rd major root note of the major scale is the 5^th note of the Ionian mode.

1:12  The 1 chord of the C major (Ionian) scale is “Doe.”  The 4 chord of the C major scale (Ionian) has its root as “Fa” chord of the major scale because it is the 4^th note of the pattern “Do Ray Me Fa.”  The 5 chord of the C major scale (Ionian) is Sew because it is the 5^th note in the pattern, “Do Ray Me Fa Sew.”

1:13  The labeling of the intervals of the three chords of the 1, 4, 5 chord progression is made with respect to as if the root note as if each of these 3 chords was created by a separate Ionian scale pattern.

2:1  The strings are labeled as such: the 6^th string is the highest pitched string, or the thinnest string, the 5^th string is the next highest pitched string, and the 4^th string is the lowest pitched string of the three highest pitched strings, whose pitches are measured in standard E tuning and played at the same fret.  This makes sense because for instance the 1^st string is lower than the 6^th string, and as one ascends notes in a scale, so to do the strings ascend to higher and higher notes.

2:2  The key of A#:

The 1 chord – A# major

The 1 chord and first chord of the progression is an A#.  It consists of the notes, A#, D, and F.

The A# is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The D is the 3 of the chord.  The F is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the A# is on the 4^th string at the 3^rd fret.  The D is on 5^th string at the 3^rd fret, and the F is on the 6^th string at the 1^st fret.

Get familiar with it.

The 4 chord – D# major

The 4 chord is a D# and it consists of the notes, D#,G, and A#.

The D# is the 1, the root, of the chord.  The G is the 3 of the chord.  The A# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked the A# is on the 4^th string at the 3^rd fret.  The D# is on the 5^th string at the 4^th fret, and the G is on the 6^th string at the 3^rd fret.

Get familiar with it.

The 5 chord – F major

The 5 chord is a F chord and it consists of the notes, F, A, and C.

The F is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The A is the 3 of the chord.  The F is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked the C is on the 4^th string at the 5^th fret.  The F is on the 5^th string at the 6^th fret, and the A is on the 6^th string at the 5^th fret.

Get familiar with it.

Now Play

Now play these chords in the 1, 4, 5 pattern, strumming each for a count of 4 before switching to a different chord.

Try playing them in different orders other than 1, 4, 5; for instance play 5, 1, 4 or 4, 1, 5.

2:3  The key of B: major

The 1 chord – B major

The 1 chord consists of the notes B, D#, and F#.

The B is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The D# is the 3 of the chord.  The F# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the B is on the 4^th string at the 4^th fret.  The D# is on 5^th string at the 4^th fret, and the F# is on the 6^th string at the 2^nd fret.

The 4 chord – E major

The 4 chord is an E and it consists of the notes, E, G#, and B.

The E is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The B is the 3 of the chord.  The G# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the B is on the 4^th string at the 4^th fret.  The E is on the 5^th string at the 5^th fret, and the G# is on the 6^th string at the 4^th fret.

The 5 chord – F# major

The 5 chord is a F# chord and it consists of the notes, F#, A#, and C#.

The F# is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The A# is the 3 of the chord.  The C# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked the C# is on the 4^th string at the 6^th fret.  The F# is on the 5^th string at the 7^th fret, and the A# is on the 6^th string at the 6^th fret.

Now Play

Now play these chords in the 1, 4, 5 pattern, strumming each for a count of 4 before switching to a different chord.

Try playing them in different orders other than 1, 4, 5.

2:4  The key of C:

The 1 chord – C major

The 1 chord consists of the notes C, E, and G.

The C is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The E is the 3 of the chord.  The G is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the C is on the 4^th string at the 5^rd fret.  The E is on 5^th string at the 5^th fret, and the G is on the 6^th string at the 3^rd fret.

The 4 chord – F major

The 4 chord is a F and it consists of the notes, F, A, and C.

The F is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The A is the 3 of the chord.  The C is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the C is on the 4^th string at the 5^th fret.  The F is on the 5^th string at the 6^th fret, and the A is on the 6^th string at the 5^th fret.

The 5 chord – G major

The 5 chord is a G chord and it consists of the notes, G, B, and D.

The G is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The B is the 3 of the chord.  The D is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked the D is on the 4^th string at the 7^th fret.  The G is on the 5^th string at the 8^th fret, and the B is on the 6^th string at the 7^th fret.

Now Play

Now play these chords in the 1, 4, 5 pattern, strumming each for a count of 4 before switching to a different chord.

Try playing them in different orders other than 1, 4, 5.

2:5  The key of C#:

The 1 chord – C# major

The 1 chord consists of the notes C#, F, and G#.

The C# is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The F is the 3 of the chord.  The G# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the C# is on the 4^th string at the 6^th fret.  The F is on 5^th string at the 6^th fret, and the G# is on the 6^th string at the 4^th fret.

The 4 chord – F# major

The 4 chord is a F# and it consists of the notes, F#, A#, and C#.

The F# is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The A# is the 3 of the chord.  The C# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the C# is on the 4^th string at the 6^th fret.  The F# is on the 5^th string at the 7^th, and the A# is on the 6^th string at the 6^th fret.

The 5 chord – G# major

The 5 chord is a G# chord and it consists of the notes, G#, C, D#.

The G# is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The C is the 3 of the chord.  The D# is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked the D# is on the 4^th string at the 8^th fret.  The G# is on the 5^th string at the 9^th fret, and the C is on the 6^th string at the 8^th fret.

Now Play

Now play these chords in the 1, 4, 5 pattern, strumming each for a count of 4 before switching to a different chord.

Try playing them in different orders other than 1, 4, 5.

2:6  The key of D:

The 1 chord – D major

The 1 chord consists of the notes D, F#, and A.

The D is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The F# is the 3 of the chord.  The A is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the D is on the 4^th string at the 7^th fret.  The F# is on 5^th string at the 7^th fret, and the A is on the 6^th string at the 5^th fret.

The 4 chord G major

The 4 chord is a G and it consists of the notes, G, B, and D.

The G is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The B is the 3 of the chord.  The D is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked, the D is on the 4^th string at the 7^th fret.  The G is on the 5^th string at the 8^th fret, and the B is on the 6^th string at the 7^th fret.

The 5 chord – A Major

The 5 chord is an A chord and it consists of the notes, A, C#, E.

The A is the 1, the root note, of the chord.  The C# is the 3 of the chord.  The E is the 5 of the chord.

Because of the way this chord is stacked the E is on the 4^th string at the 9^th fret.  The A is on the 5^th string at the 10^th fret, and the C# is on the 6^th string at the 9^th fret.

Now Play

Now play these chords in the 1, 4, 5 pattern, strumming each for a count of 4 before switching to a different chord.

Try playing them in different orders other than 1, 4, 5