Tom Bukovac's 'naughty triad' guitar chords allow you to create the illusion of opening tunings in standard

Tom Bukovac
(Image credit: Tom Bukovac / YouTube)

Tom Bukovac (aka Uncle Larry) is our favourite guitarist on YouTube – seriously. We won't rest until every guitarist is subscribed to his channel and Homeskoolin' series – probably the best thing to come out of lockdown. 

The Nashville session master is a natural on camera because he's not trying to prove anything; he's just himself. He loves sharing his endless enthusiasm for music and insight on gear, playing and great musicianship – and his interviews with fellow pros are also unmissable. This little chord lesson at the end of his recent video on his YouTube channel is too; it's all about "naughty triads".

These kinds of three-note chords are all about low voicings – and Tom notes that they often fool people. "That the stuff you do and everyone says, 'Hey Larry, what tuning are you in?' because they're not used to hearing those sounds on a guitar. You can create open tuning sounds by getting a little naughty like that." We've bookmarked the relevant part above for you to follow with your guitar. 

Simple chords in standard that make you think differently  – we'd never have thought of this approach. Which is why Tom's insight is so valuable – check out more of his great videos on YouTube

Rob Laing
Reviews Editor, GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars

Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.