Learn How to Play Piano Chords

(Scroll down to see the full list of lessons in this section)

If you are serious about learning how to play the piano, then you definitely have to learn different chords of the instrument. But learning all the various kinds of chords is not a simple matter, especially if you are a complete beginner. This can be self-taught, but it is highly recommended that you hire an instructor to help you learn to play piano.

As you know, a piece of music is typically formed by 2 components - the melody and the harmony. Being able to play basic piano chords would enable you to form the harmony of a piece of music.

Why Learn Them?

Beginning piano students will often ask, why learn piano chords? What benefit is there to learning them? How will this make me a better player? It’s hard enough just learning how to sight-read and hit the keys! In this article, I’m going to explain why they are so important, and how it can greatly improve your musical abilities.

One of the main reasons that most pianists start off with chords instead of scales is that this is probably the best and fastest way to get started with your favorite song on the piano. What most people do not realize is that learning to play chords goes a long way towards building up your knowledge of music theory. With a good grasp of chords, it would help you master other areas of playing music much more easily.

If you’ve only ever learnt how to play single lines, you should be starting to realize why learning piano chords is so important. The chords you decide to play can develop subtle and large changes in musical quality and emotion. We’ve already seen a vast array of chords, and we’ve only been playing in C!

Another reason chords are so important is because it makes learning new songs, especially pop songs, much easier. Do a search for your favorite song, and add the word “chords” to the end of the search term.

You should be able to easily find the chords to most current popular songs. Now, if you know how to play chords on the piano, you can simply read along with the chords and play what comes up. Pretty easy, isn’t it?

You might be starting to feel you’re beginning to master chords and know what they’re all about. Rest assured, however, that there are literally hundreds more chords and variations you can play. As with all of music, the possibilities are truly infinite!

So, in conclusion: Chords greatly increases the complexity and emotional range of music you can play, it gives you a firm grasp of how to create certain forms of expression and it makes learning new pop songs easy. It’s no wonder chords are at the foundation of music theory!

At PianoPlayerWorld.com, you’ll not only discover how to play piano chords but also learn methods to create your own triads. These lessons will touch on crucial music theory, real life applications and almost everything you’ll need to understand with regards to creating harmony.

As soon as you understand the fundamental chords, the subsequent tutorials will consist of much more advanced stuff to expand your knowledge. We will also show you examples of their usage in particular styles of music.

If you are learning them for the first time, you WILL have issues in playing them; particularly with fingerings and hand positionings. Study the recommendations and frequent mistakes that most beginner pianist make in order to gain a better insight.

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Master the Different Types of Piano Chords For Both Beginners:

1. Playing Major Chords on Piano - Learn the Basics
   
   The very first chords that you should familiarize with and learn are the major chords on piano. Besides fingering and playing techniques, it is also essential for you to learn the musical theory behind them.
2. How to Build And Play Minor Chords on Piano
   
   Besides the major chords, the next sets of fundamental chords that you need to learn are the minor chords. Luckily, it isn't that difficult. Read this lesson and you will be off to a flying start.
3. Basic Fingerings for Playing Piano Chords
   
   As a general guideline, the fingers that you use for playing different piano chords are more or less predetermined with a set of formula.
4. Primary Chords on Piano
   
   When it comes to the primary chords on piano, we usually refer to them as the major chords in a particular key. For example, the I - IV - V roman numerals seen in music theory depicts them.
5. Seventh (7th) Chords on Piano
   
   7th chords are usually used in song compositions to help build tension in a progression. The unique characteristic is that you add another note seven steps from the root and are often found in blues or jazz music.
6. How to Play Broken Chords on Piano
   
   The term broken chords is also known as arpeggios when the fingers play the notes of a chord one by one instead of hitting all the notes at once.
7. Compound Arpeggios - What Are They?
   
   As we move on to build on the skill learnt in the previous lesson, compound arpeggios can help further develop your piano skillset and improve your overall style. This useful technique can be applied to various forms of music too.
8. Forming Ninth Chords (9th) on Piano
   
   Moving on from the 7th chords, this lesson takes a peek into ninth chords and is usually composed of a triad which includes a seventh and ninth chord.
9. Suspended 2nd and 4th Chords on Piano
   
   By using the different types of chords in different settings, you can add creative textures and feels with suspended 2nd or 4th chords. Master these chords to spice up your playing today.
10. Piano Chord Inversions - Spicing Up Your Play With Inverted Triads
    
    Because of the way the keyboard is laid out, you can actually play a chord with different notes in the octave to create inversions. This opens up a whole new world of tones to explore.
11. How Are Augmented Chords Formed on Piano
    
    Augmented chords are usually noted as (+) or (aug) and sound tense to the ears. Because of their unstable tone, they are often used as a passing chord.
12. Popular Piano Chords Progressions In Modern Music
    
    Want to learn how to play some of the biggest pop songs in modern music? Whether you are learning the traditional classical music or jazz styles, there are often common grounds and chords used in them.
13. Easy Piano Chord Charts
    
    Reading music is no mean feat by itself. However, when you combine reading and playing at the same time, things get complicated. Check out these easy chord charts that you can use for referencing.
14. Piano Chords With Alternative Bass Notes
    
    Music would get rather boring if each chord is always contained by the notes that make it up. Because of this, piano players can use alternative bass notes like the 3rd, 5th or 7th to create a profound effect on the structure of a progression.
15. Tips on Playing Wide Piano Chords
    
    When it comes to playing the basic chords, most pianists won't have problems in playing them. The true challenge comes when we play compound or wide chords. These chords often require us to stretch our hands beyond our usual limit.
16. Understanding Diminished Chords and Dissonance
    
    Having dissonance in music can create weird and ambiguous sounds. With diminished chords, it allows pianists to tap into new elements of creative music.