Piano chords are formed by playing two, three or more notes together. The combination of notes within a chord defines its character. Combinations of chords, known as chord progressions, can define the charter of a song. For beginners, understanding triads, learning to read basic piano chords and being able to utilize a piano chord chart can simplify the process of playing and understanding music.
This piano chords guide for beginners which will help you understand simple chords on piano and have you playing your favorite songs in no time. Let’s dive into the interesting world of piano chords!
How to label basic triads?
A great place to start is getting used to how we label and talk about the basic three note chords known as triads. These triads are notated with letters and symbols. Understanding this notation system used for piano chords is essential for songwriters, producers and musicians who want to create impactful and memorable music and discuss music in a succinct and easy way.
The basic triad symbols (with C examples) are:
- C = C Major triad
- Cm/C- = C Minor triad
- C° = C Diminished triad
- C+ = C Augmented triad
These chord symbols are often used above the staff to help when reading harmony in songs, just like in this example.
How do you build triads on piano?
Piano chords are built using a combination of intervals. Intervals are the way to measure the distance between two notes. By stacking different piano intervals, you can create a variety of chords.
The intervals that make up the four basic triads are:
Major triad
Built from: Root + major third (4 semitones) + minor third (3 semitones)
Example: C major: C – E – G
Sound: Bright and happy
Minor triad
Built from: Root + minor third (3 semitones) + major third (4 semitones)
Example: C minor: C – E♭ – G
Sound: Darker and more emotional
Diminished triad
Built from: Root + minor third (3 semitones) + minor third (3 semitones)
Example: C diminished: C – E♭ – G♭
Sound: Tense and unstable
Augmented triad
Built from: Root + major third (4 semitones) + major third (4 semitones)
Example: C augmented: C – E – G#
Sound: Bright but restless
Major and minor piano chords chart
The best way to start learning chords is by getting a few common ones under your fingers. Knowing the major and minor chords on these charts will take you a long way and help you play lots of songs.
Here are all of the major chords in an easy to read chart:
Charts like this show you which piano keys to press for each chord. If you’re just starting out be sure to have a chord chart nearby as they can be really helpful. Try and play all of the minor chords and compare them to the major chords we went through in the previous charts.
Beyond major and minor chords
You will have probably come across a lot of the basic major and minor chords we looked at already. However, augmented and diminished chords are a bit trickier to use and take a bit more understanding and study. Let’s take a look at them in more depth.
What are augmented chords?
Augmented chords have a bright and restless sound. This triad is constructed using a root note, a major third and an augmented fifth. This augmented fifth is what gives this chord its unique sound. They are great for adding a little bit more flavor to your chord progressions and can often be used in place of a dominant chord. Use this chart to explore all 12 augmented chords.
- C augmented (Caug). C – E – G#
- C# augmented (C#aug). C# – E# – G##
- D augmented (Daug). D – F# – A#
- D# augmented (D#aug). D# – F## – A##
- E augmented (Eaug). E – G# – B#
- F augmented (Faug). F – A – C#
- F# augmented (F#aug). F# – A# – C##
- G augmented (Gaug). G – B – D#
- G# augmented (G#aug). G# – B# – D##
- A augmented (Aaug). A – C# – E#
- A# augmented (A#aug). A# – C## – E##
- B augmented (Baug). B – D# – F##
What are diminished chords?
Diminished chords have a dark and tense sound. This deceptively useful triad gets its charter from its unique construction. It is made from a minor third and a diminished fifth, a stack of minor thirds. It is perfect for adding a bit of passing tension and complex beauty to a chord progression and can also be used as a substitute for a dominant chord. Check out all twelve diminished chords in this piano chords chart.
- C diminished (Cdim). C – Eb – Gb
- C# diminished (C#dim). C# – E – G
- D diminished (Ddim). D – F – Ab
- D# diminished (D#dim). D# – F# – A
- E diminished (Edim). E – G – Bb
- F diminished (Fdim). F – Ab – Cb
- F# diminished (F#dim). F# – A – C
- G diminished (Gdim). G – Bb – Db
- G# diminished (G#dim). G# – B – D
- A diminished (Adim). A – C – Eb
- A# diminished (A#dim). A# – C# – E
- B diminished (Bdim). B – D – F
Try playing all of these new chord types and see how they differ from each other both in terms of sound and structure. Have fun experimenting with them in your playing.
How do you play a piano chord?
As you can see, playing a chord is simple once you understand its structure and how to build it. The key is learning what each hand does and getting comfortable with the chord shape as a whole.
What the right hand does
When playing chords the right hand can play the main chord shape with a common fingering of:
Example: C major = C-E-G
Finger 1 (thumb) = root note: C
Finger 3 (middle) = third: E
Finger 5 (pinky) = fifth: G
What the left hand does
The left hand supports the harmony with bass notes usually with a focus on the root note. It can also play full chords in lower registers. A standard and common fingering for a C major would be:
Finger 5 (thumb) = root : C
Finger 3 (middle) = third: E
Finger 1 (pinky) = fifth: G
Be sure to check this for each chord as chords can have a different fingering based on the position of the notes on the keyboard of the inversion you are playing.
Tips for clean chord playing
Press all notes at the same time to create a full chord sound. Here are a few top tips to help keep your chord playing smooth and natural:
- Keep your fingers curved and your wrists relaxed to avoid tension. Try to think of each chord as one hand shape rather than separate notes.
- Play each note with the same force to keep the sound even.
- Keep good posture to ensure proper overall technique.
- Get comfortable with the roles of both hands. This is an essential part of good piano technique.
Building strong habits early will make chord changes smoother and more natural over time. Once you feel confident with these basics, try applying them to songs like Let It Be by The Beatles. That we will look at later in the article.
Exploring beyond basic chords
Now we have covered the basic triads we can have a quick look at some other common chords and variations that you might encounter on piano.
Inversions
Chord inversions are created by changing the order of the notes while still playing the same chord. These variations allow you to achieve different harmonic textures and smoother transitions between chords. They are a great way to add variety to your chord progressions. Have a look at the examples below:
- Root position: C – E – G
- First inversion: E – G – C
- Second inversion: G – C – E
Slash chords
Slash chords are written as a fraction, like C/E, and indicate a chord played over a specific bass note. For example: C/E: A C major chord C-E-G with E as the bass note. These should not be confused with inversions. Slash chords only specify the note played in the bass and the chord quality, not the specific chord structure. Slash chords can be a great way to make your bass lines more interesting and add some movement to your chord progressions.
Suspension chords (Sus chords)
Suspended chords replace the third of a major or minor chord with a second (sus2) or a fourth (sus4). These chords are neither major or minor as the third is removed. This creates a more open sound.
- Csus2: C – D – G (root, major second, perfect fifth)
- Csus4: C – F – G (root, perfect fourth, perfect fifth)
Seventh chords
Once you feel comfortable with triads, seventh chords are a great next step. These chords add the seventh interval above the root creating a richer and more colorful sound. 7th chords are used everywhere in jazz, blues, pop, soul and classical music, helping chord progressions sound fuller and more expressive.
Piano chords and songs
The best way to get to grips with piano chords is to put them into context and get playing them in simple songs. The Skoove app is a great place to learn easy piano chords songs. Let’s explore some songs with simple progressions that you can follow along with in our app.
The Beatles – “Let It Be”
This song uses one of the most played chord progressions in pop music. Master these four chords and you’ll be able to play a huge number of songs.
Passenger – “Let Her Go”
This emotional progression makes this song a great choice for sentimental ballads. It’s a standout as one of the more sad major chord progressions alluding to the minor key creating its distinct feel.
Beethoven – “Moonlight Sonata”
This timeless classical piece relies on this progression to create a deeply introspective and brooding mood. This progression is the backbone of one of the most famous and widely listened to classical pieces of all time.
Piano chords generator
This piano chords generator helps you to find any chord you need and will come in handy if you forget any chords along your way!
💡 If you are reading this from a mobile device, rotate it to display the tool in full width.
1. Click on “Chords”
2. Choose the “Root” of the chord
3. Choose the “Chord qualities” (major, minor, etc.)
4. Click “Display”
* You can do the same with scales.
** You can invert chords and scales
Chords are the key to your piano progression!
You’ve made a great start on your piano journey of learning how to play chords on piano. Once you understand how chords work, you’ll start recognizing familiar patterns in almost every piece of music you play. The basic chords and progressions we explored in this article form the foundation of countless pop, rock, jazz and classical songs. The more comfortable you become with them, the easier it will be to learn new music. Now it’s time to take these ideas beyond theory and into real playing. With interactive lessons, guided practice and song-based learning, Skoove can help you build confidence step by step as you continue exploring chords, progressions, rhythm and technique. Keep practicing and you’ll be surprised how quickly your playing starts to sound more musical and expressive. Happy playing!
FAQ
There are lots of piano chords, including various major, minor, diminished, augmented and extended chords, each with different voicings and inversions. These chords are all built on the 12 notes of the chromatic scale.
The time required to learn and master beginner piano chords varies from person to person. With regular practice, it is possible to become comfortable with basic chords within a few months or even weeks. Mastery comes with consistent practice and application of your basic chords.
Common mistakes include ignoring proper finger placement, proper posture and hand position. Rushing through chord changes without proper accuracy and timing is the cause of a lot of difficulty for beginners.
Regular practice is key to memorizing piano chords and progressions. Start by practicing chords slowly and accurately, gradually increasing your speed. Practice chord progressions, both in isolation and within songs, to reinforce your chord knowledge.
Absolutely, keyboards and digital pianos are excellent instruments for learning piano chords. They often have built-in features, such as chord modes and visual aids that can assist beginners in learning and practicing chords.
Explore all types of piano chords
Author of this blog post
Vicki Young
Vicki Young is a pianist and singer with a degree in Music from the University of Sheffield. She lives in London, UK with her husband and son. Vicki is a communications and marketing freelancer who has worked with a range of organizations across the music and charity sectors.
Published by the Skoove team
