This time we use the same backing music, but tap through some minor chord triads. In the last exercise we tapped some major chord triads.
Make sure to listen to the normal speed audio (Under Tools in the Menu). Notice that halfway through, the fingertapping kicks in at full speed. However in the ActionTab, the tempo is suddenly slowed down to show the fingertapping at a more comfortable pace when it kicks in.
Like last time, the backing chord progression is shown at normal speed at the start of the ActionTab. The chord progression is the same as before:
F#5 - F#5 - G5 - F#5 - A5 - G5 (8 palm muted downstrokes) - Repeat.
Remember, things are slowed here, when the tapping starts, but the backing chord progression remains the same as described above!
Tapping Minor Chord Triads
Notice in the ActionTab how different the minor triads sound - compared to the major triads of the previous exercise. Minor chord triads tend to sound darker and less 'bright & cheery' when tapped fast. This is no surprise really, as major chords are known for sounding happier, and minor chords as more melancholic or somber.
All we are doing is tapping the minor triad for each of the chords as they appear in the backing music. It's good ol' triplets once again...
As the F#5 chord is played in the backing music, we tap an F# minor triplet (fast!). When the backing chord changes, we change the tapped triplet to one of the following:
F#5 backing chord (Triplet is C# - A - F#)
NB an F# minor triad is F# - A - C# (1+3+5), however we tap down in this order: 5-3-1 (C# - A - F#). We do this for each triplet. So effectively we're tapping through each chord triad in reverse. No fancy reason...it just sounds good. Read below for more on the theoretical stuff.
G5 backing chord (Triplet is D - Bb - G)
G minor triad is G Bb D (1 - 3 - 5), we're reversing it to D - Bb - G
A5 backing chord (Triplet is E - C - A)
A minor triad is A C E (1 - 3 - 5), we're reversing it to E - C - A
Each triplet is repeated 8 times per backing chord.
The Theory Side...
Major and minor chords are the most common chord types in music. Both chord types are considered 'triads' because they consist of just 3 notes. Triads are made from the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the underlying major or minor scale.
So, an A major scale is: A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G# - A
So the A Major chord Triad is 1st + 3rd + 5th = A - C# - E
And the A minor scale is: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A
The Minor chord Triad is 1st + 3rd + 5th = A - C - E
Don't worry about big scales or having to learn lots of notes yet! The difference between major and minor triads is easy to remember. The 1st and 5th notes stay the same, just flatten (lower by 1 fret) the 3rd note to get a minor triad from a major triad. Or, sharpen (raise by 1 fret) the 3rd note of a minor triad to find the major triad!
1st-3rd-5th
A - C#- E = A major triad
A - C - E = A minor triad
1st-3rd-5th
G - B - D = G major triad
G - Bb- D = G minor triad
Notice in both examples only the 3rd (middle) note is altered (sharpened or flattened). That 3rd note is what makes the difference between major and minor triads! The 1st and 5th notes remain unaltered. You can learn more about triads and chords here.
By the Way...
The reason we can use major or minor triplets over the same backing chords without getting any clashes is because the backing chords are powerchords. That means they are just the 1st and 5th notes combined. The 3rd is omitted (and it's the 3rd that makes the chord major or minor, as we saw earlier). Remember that the major and minor triads have the same 1st and 5th notes. It's just the 3rd note that differs.
That means we will get no clashes by using either major or minor 3rd notes over the top! Whereas if you tried to play an A minor triplet over an A major chord, it will sound nasty....all because the C in your lead will clash with the C# of the backing chord.
Powerchords are beautiful things for the lead guitarist. They are neither major or minor, so you can use either scale over the top for your solos and melodies! When you are learning, this is great for giving you a little more freedom to swap between scales, whilst providing a wider margin for error at the same time!
