Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Chord Basics
• Part 2 of 3: Play Chords
• Part 3 of 3: Practice
• Tips

Chords are what makes music more interesting and gives it character. They are the most basic and important thing every pianist should know, and it's really easy to learn how to play them! We'll show you the rules and then let's get started!

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Chord Basics

1. 1 Understand what a chord is. A chord is three or more notes. Complex chords can have many notes, but you need a minimum of three.
   • The chords described here will all have three notes: root, third, and fifth.
2. 2 Find the root note of the chord. All major chords are constructed on a note called the root, or root of the chord. This is the note that the chord is named after and will be the lowest note in the chord.
   • For a C (C) major chord, C (C) is the root. This will be the bottom note of your chord.
   • You will play the tonic with your right thumb or your left little finger.
3. 3 Find the major third. The second note in a major chord is a major third, which adds character to the chord. It is four semitones or half an interval higher than the main tone. It is called the third because when you play the key in this key, it will be the third note.
   • For a C (C) major chord, E (E) is a third. It is four half-intervals higher than C (before). You can count them on your piano (C #, D, D #, E - C sharp, D, C sharp, E).
   • You will play third with your middle finger, no matter which hand you use.
   • Try playing the root and third together to get a feel for how the interval should sound.
4. 4 Find the fifth. The top note in a major chord is called a fifth, because if you play a key, it will be the fifth note. It fixes the chord and makes it complete. It is seven semitones higher than the main tone.
   • For a C (C) major chord, G (G) is the fifth. On the piano, you can count seven semitones upward from the root. (C #, D, D #, E, F, F #, G - C sharp, D, Re sharp, E, F, F, G).
   • Play the fifth with your right little finger or your left thumb.
5. 5 It should be understood that there are at least two ways to denote a chord. All notes can be written in at least two different ways, for example Eb (E flat) and D # (re sharp) are the same notes. Therefore, a major Eb (E flat) chord will sound the same as a D # (D sharp) chord.
   • The notes Eb (E flat), G (G), Bb (B flat) make up an Eb (E flat) chord. The notes D # (D sharp), F𝄪 (F ## F take sharp), A # (A sharp) make up a D # (D sharp) chord, which sounds exactly like an Eb (E flat) chord.
   • These two chords are called enharmonic equivalents because they sound the same but are spelled differently.
   • Some of the enharmonic equivalents are listed below, but otherwise the article presents only the most basic notation for the major chord.
6. 6 Review of the correct hand position. In order to play a piece of piano music well, you must maintain correct hand position at all times, even if you are just practicing chords.
   • Keep your fingers high and bent as if they are dipping into the keys. Use the natural curve of your fingers when doing this.
   • Use the weight of your hands to press the keys, not the strength of your fingers.
   • Play with the pads of your fingers, including your little finger and thumb, if possible, which tend to remain at rest when you are not paying attention to them.
   • Cut your nails short so you can play with your fingertips.

Part 2 of 3: Play Chords

1. 1 Use three fingers. Note that you will only use fingers 1, 3, and 5 (thumb, middle, pinky) to play three notes of each chord.Your index and ring fingers can rest but not press any keys.
   • Note that each time you change chords, your fingers move one half-interval (one key) up the keyboard.
2. 2 Play C (C) major. Three notes - C (C), E (E), G (G). Remember that C (before) = tonic (0), E (mi) = third (4 semitones), G (g) = fifth (7 semitones).
   • Place your right thumb on C (C), your middle finger on E (mi), and your little finger on G (G).
   • Place your right little finger on C (C), your middle finger on E (mi), and your thumb on G (G).
3. 3 Play Db (D flat) major. Three notes - Db (D flat), F (F), Ab (A flat). Remember that Db (D flat) = tonic (0), F (fa) = third (4 semitones), Ab (A flat) = fifth (7 semitones). The enharmonic equivalent of this chord is C # (C sharp) major... Note that Db (D flat) can also be denoted by C # (C sharp). F (fa) in a piece of music can also be written as E # (E sharp). Ab (A flat) can also be written as G # (G sharp). The notes you play will be the same whether it says Db (D flat) major or C # (G sharp) major.
   • Place your right thumb on Db (D flat), your middle finger on F (fa), and your little finger on Ab (A flat).
   • Place your left little finger on Db (D flat), your middle finger on F (fa), and your thumb on Ab (A flat).
4. 4 Play D (D) major. Three notes - D (D), F # (F sharp), A (A). Remember that D (pe) = root (0), F # (F sharp) = third (4 semitones), A (A) = fifth (7 semitones).
   • Right hand fingering will place your thumb on D (d), your middle finger on F # (F sharp), and your pinky on A (a).
   • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on D (d), your middle finger on F # (F sharp), and your thumb on A (A).
5. 5 Play Eb (E flat) major. Three notes - Eb (E flat), G (G), Bb (B flat). Remember that Eb (E flat) = tonic (0), G (G) = third (4 semitones), Bb (B flat) = fifth (7 semitones).
   • Right hand fingering will place your thumb on Eb (E flat), your middle finger on G (G), and your little finger on Bb (B flat).
   • Left hand fingering will place your pinky on Eb (E flat), your middle finger on G (G), and your thumb on Bb (B flat).
6. 6 Play E (E) major. Three notes - E (mi), G # (G sharp), B (si). Remember that E (mi) = root (0), G # (G sharp) = third (4 semitones), B (si) = fifth (7 semitones).
   • The right hand fingering will place the thumb on E (e), the middle finger on G # (G sharp), and the pinky on B (b).
   • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on E (e), your middle finger on G # (G sharp), and your thumb on B (b).
7. 7 Play F (F) major. Three notes - F (fa), A (la), C (do). Remember that F (fa) = tonic (0), A (la) = third (4 semitones), C (before) = fifth (7 semitones).
   • Right-hand fingering will place your thumb on F (fa), middle finger on A (la), and pinky on C (before).
   • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on F (fa), your middle finger on A (A), and your thumb on C (C).
8. 8 Play F # (F sharp) major. Three notes - F # (F sharp), A # (A sharp), C # (C sharp). Remember that F # (F sharp) = root (0), A # (A sharp) = third (4 semitones), C # (C sharp) = fifth (7 semitones). The enharmonic equivalent of this chord is Gb (G flat) major which can also be denoted by Gb (salt flat), Bb (B flat), Db (D flat). Note that F # (F sharp) can also be written as Gb (G flat). A # (A sharp) can be represented by Bb (B flat). C # (C sharp) can be denoted by Db (D flat). Therefore, the notes you use for the major chord will be the same in F # (F sharp) major and Gb (G flat) major.
   • Right hand fingering will place your thumb on F #, your middle finger on A # (A sharp), and your pinky on C # (C sharp).
   • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on F #, your middle finger on A # (A sharp), and your thumb on C # (C sharp).
9. 9 Play G (G) major. Three notes - G (G), B (B), D (D). Remember that G (g) = tonic (0), B (si) = third (4 semitones), D (re) = fifth (7 semitones).
   • Right hand fingering will place the thumb on G (G), the middle finger on B (B), and the pinky on D (D).
   • The left hand fingering will place your pinky finger on G (G), your middle finger on B (B), and your thumb on D (D).
10. 10 Play Ab (A flat) major. Three notes - Ab (A flat), C (C), Eb (E flat). Remember that Ab (A flat) = tonic (0), C (c) = third (4 semitones), Eb (E flat) = fifth (7 semitones). The enharmonic equivalent of this chord is G # (G sharp) major which will be written as G # (G sharp), B # (B sharp), D # (D sharp). Note that Ab (A flat) can also be written as G # (G sharp).C (before) - like B # (B sharp). Eb (E flat) can be referred to as D # (re sharp). The notes used for a major chord will be the same for Ab (A flat) major and G # (G sharp) major, although they will be labeled differently.
    • Right hand fingering will place your thumb on Ab (A flat), your middle finger on C (C), and your little finger on Eb (E flat).
    • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on Ab (A flat), your middle finger on C (C), and your thumb on Eb (E flat).
11. 11 Play A (A) major. Three notes - A (A), C # (C sharp), E (E). Remember that A (A) = root (0), C # (C sharp) = third (4 semitones), E (E) = fifth (7 semitones).
    • Right hand fingering will place your thumb on A (A), your middle finger on C # (C sharp), and your little finger on E (E).
    • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on A (A), your middle finger on C # (C sharp), and your thumb on E (E).
12. 12 Play Bb (B flat) major. Three notes - Bb (B flat), D (re), F (fa). Remember that Bb (B flat) = tonic (0), D (re) = third (4 semitones), F (fa) = fifth (7 semitones).
    • The right hand fingering will place the thumb on Bb (B flat), the middle finger on D (d), and the little finger on F (fa).
    • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on Bb (Bb), your middle finger on D (d), and your thumb on F (fa).
13. 13 Play B (B) major. Three notes - B (B), D # (D sharp), F # (F sharp). Remember that B (B) = root (0), D # (re sharp) = third (4 semitones), F # (F sharp) = fifth (7 semitones).
    • The right hand fingering will place the thumb on B (B), the middle finger on D # (D sharp), and the pinky on F # (F sharp).
    • The left hand fingering will place your pinky on B (B), your middle finger on D # (D sharp), and your thumb on F # (F sharp).

Part 3 of 3: Practice

1. 1 Practice playing all three notes at the same time. Once you are confident in playing each chord individually, try skipping the key with each major chord. Start with a C (C) major chord, then play Db (D flat) major, then D (D) major, and so on.
   • Begin this exercise with only one hand. When you feel confident, play with both hands at the same time.
   • Listen to fake notes. The relationship between the notes should always remain the same, so if one chord suddenly sounds different, see if you are hitting the notes correctly.
2. 2 Try arpeggio. Arpeggio is when each note is struck sequentially from the lowest to the highest. To play C (C) Major Arpeggios with your right hand, tap C (C) with your thumb and release. Hit E (mi) with your middle finger and release. Hit G (G) with your little finger and release.
   • When you master this movement, try to do it smoothly, not in jerks. Hit and release each note quickly so that there is hardly any pause between them.
3. 3 Practice playing major chords in different inversions. Chord inversion uses the same notes, but puts different notes at the end. For example, a C (C) major chord is C (C), E (E), G (G). The first inversion of a C (C) major chord will be E (E), G (G), C (C). The second inversion is G (salt), C (before), E (mi).
   • Make it hard for yourself by playing a major chord with each key in a different inversion.
4. 4 Look at the chords in the notes. Once you learn how to compose and play chords, find a piece of a piece of music that contains chords. See if you can identify the major chords you've learned.

Tips

• You may make mistakes in the beginning, but eventually you will succeed. Do not give up!