Well done, you have successfully learned the basics for playing piano chords and your favourite music! So, a root position chord is a chord where the root is the lowest note. All the piano chords in this guide so far have been root position chords. The alternative to a root position chord is an inverted chord where the lowest note is not the root of the chord (more on that later).

Play chords with your left hand and improvise a solo melody with your right hand. This is a great way to play for more advanced pianists or if you are just trying out improvisation on the piano. Interactive sheet music to get you playing chords on the piano Add flavor and color to any of these piano chords by adding one or more tones to your basic root, third, and 5th. The added tones are usually indicated with a number written after the chord symbol. The number means to add that tone in the scale, starting with the root as “1.” You might see a 6, 7, 9, 11, or 13. Those numbers are intervals above the root, meaning they correspond to notes measured that far above the root in major or minor scales. Count the root as one, then go by the scale that begins on that root. One of the most common added tones is a 7th. An easier way to think about 7th chords for now will be that the 7th is an extra third on top of the fifth. The C7 chord is just a C major triad with an extra minor third added on top: C, E, G, B-flat. A seventh chord is made up of 4 notes: a 3-note chord (triad) plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root note. Seventh chords are particularly popular in jazz music. However, seventh chords are important for any style of music as they enrich the relations between different harmonies and tonalities. a perfect fifth, which is 7 semitones above the root note, i.e. 3 semitones above the major third (e.g. in the C chord, the perfect fifth is G)

a minor third, which is 3 semitones above the root note (e.g. in the C minor chord, the minor third is E flat) You can also have a suspension chord, which replaces a tone in the chord with another tone. For example, if you see C sus 4, that number 4 means you’ll play the 4th tone above the root instead of the 3rd, or C, F, G. F sus 4 would be F, B-flat, C. An F sus 2 chord symbol means play the 2nd tone of the scale instead of the third, or F, G, C. Between the C major and D major keys is the key of G major. Between D major and E major keys is the A major key. Both of the keys G and A use chords that you already know but have unique chord progressions. Key of G Major For example, consider a C major chord (below); it’s notes are C E and G. There are four half steps from C to E – C♯, D, D♯, and E. Then there are three half steps from E to G – F, F♯, and G. A C major chord has 4 half steps from C to E and 3 half steps from E to G. Screenshot taken from Musicca’s virtual piano.

A piano chord chart is a visual representation that maps out different chords on the piano keys. It typically shows all the keys on a piano and indicates which keys need to be pressed to play a particular chord. For beginners, this chart is an invaluable resource as it simplifies the process of learning and memorizing various chord structures. The ABCs of piano chord charts: a starter’s tutorial In this exercise, continue playing octave root notes in the LH. In your RH, play each note of the chord for the duration of a quarter note (shown below). A simple broken chord arrangement pattern Option 3: Use Chord Inversions Start by forming a root position chord in your right hand. What is a root position chord? Well, the root of the chord is the same note as the name of the chord, so C is the root of the C major chord.

Diatonic chords are formed using the notes of a musical scale without any alterations. They consist of seven chords for each major or minor scale. Each note in the scale can act as the root of a chord. In the key of C major, for instance, the diatonic chords would be C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim. We call the combination of all the chords inherent in a scale a chord scale. Here is the basic Piano Chord Vocabulary you should know when starting to play chords on the piano: Description: An introduction to general music theory is followed by an extensive overview of chord theory from the pianist's perspective. Absolute Novice Piano - Sheet Music with Note Letters (mini edition)

All the piano chords we have worked on so far have been root position chords. The downside of only practicing root position chords is that they limit your playing and can sound clunky. The way around this is to start practicing your chord inversions. You can invert the chord again and put an F♯ on the top to end with A D F♯. This is a second inversion chord.

Learn how to play piano chords with the help of our piano chord charts. This is a great place for beginners to start!

Sometimes you’ll see a slightly different variation, written C maj 7. That just means to use a major third instead of a minor third on top of the chord, or C, E, G, B.

The third is the second note in the chord and is usually a third above the root in the scale. It determines the quality of the chord, i.e., whether it’s major (if it’s a major third from the root) or minor (if it’s a minor third from the root). In a C major chord, ‘E’ is the third. In G major, the four chords to master playing together are G major, C major, D major, and E minor. G major Chord Progressions C major Chord (C-E-G): The song begins with a C major chord, introducing the song with a strong, happy, and uplifting mood.Description: Sheet piano with note letters for beginners. In total 15 well-known piano songs arranged for absolute beginners: sheet piano with note letters. Now, you can find those notes on the piano and play them together. Find a C note on the piano and keep the pinky of your left hand on it. Then, look two whole steps higher to find E and put your middle finger there. Finally, look one whole step and a half-step above E to find G. Use your thumb. Learn how to play piano chords with the help of our piano chord charts. This is a great place for beginners to start! I want to play my favourite tunes on the piano by playing both the melody and the corresponding piano chords.”