Technically speaking, all three notes of a triad need to be present for you to have a triad. However, certain combinations of notes can imply the sound of a chord. So for example, if the notes C and E are played together, they may imply a C major chord. This will ultimately depend upon context.

Also, when you play one note, you are actually hearing that one note (or fundamental note) and you are also hearing a combination of different overtones. The different overtones that are present are what characterize the unique sound of each instrument. It’s the presence or absence of certain overtones from the harmonic overtone series that allow us to hear a difference between the violin and the guitar even when they play the exact same note.

The reason some teachers will show beginners simple two note voicings for chords is to simplify things for the beginner.

Single note lines may imply a chord when they outline one in the melody. Otherwise one note by itself is generally not enough to imply a definite or even implied harmony. This is because there are many different chords that a single note can be part of. The note C can be the root of the C major chord (C-E-G); the b3 of an A minor chord (A-C-E); or the fifth of an F major chord (F-A-C).

I hope this clarifies things. Let me know.

That’s a great question. In music, having good feel in a performance is what separates a great performance from a lousy one.

It’s one thing to play the notes in a piece of music and entirely a different thing to transcend the notes and take the music beyond.

So how do you go beyond the notes?

The first thing you need to master is any of the technical demands of the piece. In other words, you need to know the notes in the piece of music and be able to play them with the correct rhythm and at the correct tempo. For this you need to have the chops. So be sure to devote some of your practice time to improving your guitar technique.

Once you’ve got the piece down, you need to take it to the next level of performance. This is when the music really starts to come alive.

The BIG QUESTION to ask yourself is: “What does the song mean to you?” Dig deep if you have to, and determine what the song means to you, or could mean to you. If you are still having a problem figuring out what the song means to you, do a little research and find out why the artist wrote it and what it means to them.

Once you’ve determined or decided what the song means to you, your job is to think about this and bring it out as you perform it.

The next thing to do as you perform is play it like you mean it. Don’t be timid. Make every note count. Play it like your life depends on it and soon you will find that you’ve got great feel in your playing and it will become second nature.

“Every time you pick up your guitar to play, play as if it’s the last time.” Eric Clapton

Have fun with this and let me know how it goes.

Don