Knowing your triads all over the neck is one thing — knowing what to do with them when the chords start moving is another. This exercise closes that gap, and it’s the clearest path I know from understanding harmony intellectually to actually sounding like you’re playing through the changes.
What you’ll get out of this lesson
You’ll learn a simple three-step game for connecting triads across chord changes using three types of connecting note. By the end, you’ll have a reliable method for building strong, melodically grounded lines over any chord progression — and you’ll understand exactly how this connects to the harmonic language of bebop and jazz.
Before you start: getting your triads in order
This exercise only works if you can already play your triads all over the neck. That’s not optional — if you can’t find triad shapes for the chords you want to outline in multiple positions, this is going to be tough going. There’s a link below to a video covering closed-position triads as a starting point. Once you have those under your fingers, you’ll be able to apply this exercise to any set of changes you’re working on. If you’re not quite there yet, you can still watch this lesson and start applying the concept to whatever chord voicings you already know in the same position.
Pre-requisite: Triad basics video
The core idea: triad, connect, triad
The exercise is straightforward. You play all three notes of the triad for your current chord in any order you like — ascending, descending, or any permutation — then you add a single connecting note that leads into the next triad, then you play all three notes of the next triad. That’s it: triad, connection, triad, connection, and so on through the changes. The key is that you play each note of the triad only once — no repeating within the triad itself — and then the fourth note is always your connector.
In terms of rhythm: if a chord lasts one bar, use quarter notes (crotchets). If a chord lasts two beats, use eighth notes (quavers). This keeps the lines musical and rhythmically coherent rather than just an exercise.
The three types of connecting note, in order of simplicity:
- Repeat one of the chord tones you’ve already played — specifically the one closest to a note in the target triad.
- A note a semitone above or below a note in the target triad (this is the one to focus on most).
- A note a scale degree above or below the target note, using the scale of the chord you’re on — not the scale of the target chord.
The three connector options in detail
Using A major to D major as a demonstration:
Connector 1 — repeat a chord tone:
Here the A major triad descends, then the first note played is repeated as the connector, which then resolves to the target note in D major.
Connector 2 — chromatic (semitone above or below the target):
Here the A major triad ascends, then F natural is added as the connector — a chromatic note a semitone below the target note of F#. This is connector two in action and the one that gives you the most musical mileage.
Connector 3 — scale tone from the current chord:
Here a permutation of the A major triad is played (not simply ascending or descending), then B is used as the connector — the nearest note of the A major scale above the target note of A (the 5th of D major). The key point: you use the scale of the current chord, not the target chord, to choose this scale-tone connector.
Applying it to real changes
Once you’re comfortable with the basic idea, take it through a real progression. Here’s an analysis using Giant Steps as an example:
In this example, triads are marked with legato markings and connectors are written in parentheses. Breaking down the connectors used:
- * Chromatic note above the target note — target is A, the 5th of D7
- ** Repeat of a chord tone from the D7 triad
- *** Repeat of a chord tone from G7 — could also be seen as a chromatic note above the target tone
- **** Scale tone from the Bb7 scale (Bb mixolydian) approaching the target note from above — could also be seen as a chromatic note above the target
This is really going to get you through some changes playing. Take any chord changes you’re working on, make sure you know how to play those triads all over the neck, then start approaching them with the chromatic connection, and you will go a very long way.
Rhythm patterns for the exercise
Each connector group contains four notes, which opens up a range of rhythmic options to keep your practice interesting. Experiment with these common four-note rhythm patterns:
Start with straight quarter or eighth notes to get the connection patterns under your fingers, then introduce the rhythmic variations to make the lines sound more musical and less mechanical.
Taking it further
This exercise is also the foundation of bebop. The addition of chromaticism and scale-tone connections between harmonic material is the cornerstone of good jazz playing — what you’re practising here is essentially the melodic DNA of that style. Once connector 2 (chromatic approach) feels solid, add connector 3 into your vocabulary. Then start trying to improvise freely and drop in a triad-connection passage at the end of a phrase — alternate between free playing and deliberate triad connections until the lines start to blur together. The rules are there for the exercise; once your ear and melodic sense are stronger, you’ll be able to break them and still sound strong.
Your homework
Pick a two-chord vamp you know well — even just I to IV. Spend fifteen minutes this week playing through it using only connector 2 (the chromatic semitone approach). Once that feels comfortable, try a four-chord loop and apply connectors 1 and 2 throughout. Record yourself and listen back to hear how the lines are connecting across the changes.