Home | Scales | Tuner | Forum


what does the "triangle" symbol mean in a guitar chord?

Music Theory
airbryder  
14 Aug 2008 17:46 | Quote
Joined: 14 Aug 2008
Karma
I was looking at a jazz chart and came across a chord that had a triangle in it. It was, A(triangle symbol)7b5. So what does this triangle symbol represent?
GuitarBoy666  
14 Aug 2008 21:30 | Quote
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Canada
Karma: 2
It means a Major.
Amaj7b5
blackholesun  
15 Aug 2008 08:51 | Quote
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
United Kingdom
Licks: 1
Karma: 11
Moderator
Well done GuitarBoy666, that's right.
guitarmastergod  
9 Oct 2008 19:11 | Quote
Joined: 09 Sep 2008
Canada
Karma: 8
theres other chords like that but have things like a circle in it like C(circle) which means diminished
JazzMaverick  
10 Oct 2008 08:08 | Quote
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
United Kingdom
Lessons: 24
Licks: 37
Karma: 47
Moderator
Yeah, it means Major.

I've got a lesson on what each guitar symbol means and each chord. You should take a look at that so you know.
Nightmare  
10 Oct 2008 17:06 | Quote
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Lebanon
Karma: 6
it means Major (like i knew that :P)
league  
13 Oct 2008 11:37 | Quote
Joined: way back
United States
Lessons: 2
Karma: 10
Nightmare says:
it means Major (like i knew that :P)


LOL I also knew that it was a major.

Random thought: Dont you hate it when some douchebag transcribes a song wrong and gets your hopes up and your trust right before you notice that the riff is played totally different. **ing Douchebag song trancribers!
Nightmare  
14 Oct 2008 15:37 | Quote
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Lebanon
Karma: 6
are you kidding me!!!! i hate when that happens. i memorize the tab, and start playing it and when i play along with the song i find out that there something worng!.. but i've learned from that mistake. now every time i want to learn a song, i listen to it while reading the tab over and over again until im sure thats it's right.
BodomBeachTerror  
14 Oct 2008 15:40 | Quote
Joined: 27 May 2008
Canada
Lessons: 2
Licks: 1
Karma: 25
league says:
Random thought: Dont you hate it when some douchebag transcribes a song wrong and gets your hopes up and your trust right before you notice that the riff is played totally different. **ing Douchebag song trancribers!


yea, i tried to learn Paranoid, but for some stupid reason whoever tabbed it put it a fret lower than it should be, took me forever to find where it actually was. cuz im not to bright lol
Nightmare  
14 Oct 2008 16:21 | Quote
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Lebanon
Karma: 6
I tried to learn Snowblind but i couldnt find the right tab. Then i discovered a really old website that has all Sabbath tabs and all correct i guess, so when i find it i'll post it if you want.
league  
14 Oct 2008 17:30 | Quote
Joined: way back
United States
Lessons: 2
Karma: 10
LOL same thing happened to me trying to learn Holy Wars. The transcriber made it seem extremely complex. I saw a guy playing
Holy Wars on YouTube and he was playing it the same way, so I tried it anyways. Fortunately, I found a video of Mustaine playing it at GuitarCenter and I was like "Thats seems way more logical, that dude is a complete douchebag."
JazzMaverick  
15 Oct 2008 05:51 | Quote
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
United Kingdom
Lessons: 24
Licks: 37
Karma: 47
Moderator
TAB isn't always right though, guys. So once you've finished learning it, or when you're in the middle of learning it, play along to the song and see if what you're playing is right.
Heather  
15 Oct 2008 14:14 | Quote
Joined: 21 Aug 2008
United Kingdom
Licks: 2
Karma: 19
Wow, I'm not too embaressed to say did'nt know that! I never got taught there even was a triangle! What?!?! I been playing for 6 months and nobody told me! :D

Seriously though, I've had 4 different guitar teachers (a LOT in that time, I know!) and they all tell me just Maj, never mention any other thingys.
JoeDalton  
15 Oct 2008 14:30 | Quote
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Karma: 1
Heather.
Remember that in music 6 months is not a long time. Take your time to learn and practice the basics, a sloppy basis to built on will seriously hurt you in the long run.
I've seen some people switch off teachers because they feel they don't teach fast enough, but 9 out of 10 times the teacher is doing the right thing.

also, a triangle is a maj7, so A triangle 7 b5 is a wrong notation it should be A triangle b5.
JazzMaverick  
15 Oct 2008 14:51 | Quote
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
United Kingdom
Lessons: 24
Licks: 37
Karma: 47
Moderator
I missed that... wow. I should have known that by now. Can't believe that even slipped my mind!

Good way of saying it JoeDalton. How long have you been playing?
Heather  
16 Oct 2008 15:05 | Quote
Joined: 21 Aug 2008
United Kingdom
Licks: 2
Karma: 19
Thanks Joe, I'll bear that in mind. I'll try to listen to dirrections more often.
bio  
18 Oct 2008 14:49 | Quote
Joined: 17 Oct 2008
Portugal
Karma
it would be a glorious gesture if someone could indicate me (and others who may need) the best place to learn about guitar symbols ^^

btw i didn't know that either. and i've never seen them too.. i don't usually search for tabs/chords
JoeDalton  
18 Oct 2008 14:52 | Quote
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Karma: 1
The best place would be a library!
books are your friend.
JoeDalton  
18 Oct 2008 14:53 | Quote
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Karma: 1
As a side note, the propper scale to place over it is lydian.
bio  
18 Oct 2008 21:45 | Quote
Joined: 17 Oct 2008
Portugal
Karma
i believe you, but most of the books in my country are expensive, and i like to have lunch from time to time.. :p
6stringfever  
11 Nov 2008 03:35 | Quote
Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Karma
just for general references to many people new to guitar and generally any music theory here are the basic signs to do with chords and some scale theory

a triangle = major 7
small circle = diminshed
small circle with verticle line through it = half diminished or maj7b5 as it is traditionally called.

also you may be wondering the diff between say an Ab6 and an A(b6) the first is an Ab chord with an added 6th. the second is an A chord with a flattened 6th.

and anyone comfunsed about the "key of H" H is the traditional german way of talking about the key of B. in much classical music when the key of B is mentioned it is being used to refer to Bb and then H is used for the natural key of B.

now as for modes.. they're alot more simple then they are made out to be.
a mode is simply a major scale with an altered tonic. eg. the C major scale.

C D E F G A B C to make for instance the dorian mode (2nd degree of the major scale) you simply play a C maj scale starting and ending on D.

you do the same with the other 6 modes.

ionian
dorian
phrygian
lydian
mixolydian
aeolian(natural minor mode)
dorian(diminished mode)

umm what else should you know.. if you ever hear anyone talking about phrygian dominant it is simpely the phrigian mode played using the harmonic minor scale (normal minor scale with a major 7th)

so yeah if anyone has any other queries or comments feel free to email me

lachlan.reardon@hotmail.com
blackholesun  
11 Nov 2008 09:32 | Quote
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
United Kingdom
Licks: 1
Karma: 11
Moderator
JazzMaverick made a lesson on them a while back.

It is annoying when people get tabs wrong, but at least they made the effort to make them though.
JoeDalton  
19 Nov 2008 03:55 | Quote
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Karma: 1
Sorry have to clear this up
Dim is flat 5, double flat 7
Half dim is flat 5 MINOR 7

The dim chord is a perfect structure of only minor thirds.
JazzMaverick  
19 Nov 2008 05:13 | Quote
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
United Kingdom
Lessons: 24
Licks: 37
Karma: 47
Moderator
And, 6 string fever, to clear this up what he was saying while listing the modes, it's Locrian and not Dorian under Aeolian.

Like what blackholesun said, I've made a lesson on this, and a lesson stating what the chord symbols are and what name is used.
JoeDalton  
19 Nov 2008 05:20 | Quote
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Karma: 1
What me and jazz are trying to say, dont do drugs 6stringer!
Monchis  
1 Feb 2013 21:21 | Quote
Joined: 01 Feb 2013
Karma
What's the difference when playing D as opposed to D (triangle shape)?
MoshZilla1016  
2 Feb 2013 10:21 | Quote
Joined: 10 Jul 2010
United States
Lessons: 4
Licks: 19
Karma: 16
@Monchis.......Here's an example of the difference D compared to DMaj7



D DMaj7
e---2-----2--
B---3-----2--
G---2-----2--
D---0-----0--
A------------
E------------


Copyright © 2004-2017 All-Guitar-Chords.com. All rights reserved.