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Understanding the primary chords on the Piano for Beginners

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what those letters above the staff on your sheet music mean? These letters represent chord symbols. Although guitar players utilize chord symbols all the time, chords remain a strange art for many starting piano students.

Learning how to play chords on the piano provides you with significant knowledge and talent that allows you to perform any song as long as there is a chord chart. If you want to learn how to play keyboards, it is best to take a music course online. Keep reading to learn keyboard chords.

What are Piano Chords?

When more than one note is played at the same time, a chord is formed that has two, three, or more separate notes. The piano keyboard has only twelve tones. As you move up the keyboard, these tones, known as the chromatic scale, repeat. Each white or black key is a half step apart from the keys adjacent to it on the scale.

A triad, or three-note chord, is the most frequent sort of keyboard or piano chord. A triad consists of a root note and two additional notes, most commonly the notes that form third and fifth intervals above the fundamental note.

Learn the basic Piano Chords
Learn the basic Piano Chords

There are two groups of basic chords: Major and Minor chords

  1. Major chord – A major chord has a pleasant tone. All major chords are made up of three notes from the major scale. A major chord is formed by playing the root note, the third note, and the fifth note of a major scale. The letter that gives the chord its letter name is the root note for any chord. The chord’s major third is two complete steps above the root. Finally, the fifth is a whole and a half-step above the major third. This is a fundamental chord on the piano.
  1. Minor chord – Minor chords function similarly to major chords in that they all employ the same three notes, but these notes are from a minor scale. The root note is the initial note of the scale, and it is from this note that the chord receives its name. The minor third of the chord is one whole step and one-half step above the root. 

A fifth of the chord may then be found by going two complete steps above the minor third. If you recognize the name of the minor chord and the notes of the minor scale for that chord, you may learn how to play it on the piano.

Other Piano Chords for Beginners

Try a few reduced chords on your keyboard to hear their distinct tone. Yes, diminished and augmented chords are far less prevalent than major and minor chords. For reduced piano chords, look for the root followed by the letters “dim,” as well as a little open circle that looks like a degree sign. For augmented chords, the letter name of the root is frequently followed by “aug” or a + sign.

Conclusion

If you are interested in a musical instrument to learn like the piano and take piano lessons, then here are some blogs that will come in handy. 

  1. Tips to learn Piano – Lessons for Beginners
  2. Techniques to Improve Piano Playing
  3. Learning Piano in 2022? Here Are Three Easy Methods To Help You

If you want to make learning music fun and helpful then at Artium Academy, we provide 1:1 live classes. Take the next step with our piano lessons for beginners and keep a record of your progress. We have many music courses online that you can benefit from. Let’s make your keyboard-learning music classes enjoyable.