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INTRODUCTION TO CHORDS
Indicates Files in Piano Marvel Repertoire Introduction to
Chords
Print out this file and use it at your keyboard to study/
Prepared by Christine Brown
Please give me your feedback on this course at
[email protected]
June 2012
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Lessons
1) Music Basics (key names and rhythms) .......................
page 3
2) Sharps & Flats
.............................................................. page
4
3) Major Pentascales
........................................................ page 4
4) Major & Minor Chords
................................................... page 6
5) Chord Inversions
........................................................ page
14
6) Other Kinds of Chords
................................................ page 19
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If you are unfamiliar with the names of the keys of the
keyboard, please read and work through this section. We use the
first 7 letters of the alphabet to name the keys: A B C D E F &
G. As you look at your keyboard you will see that the black keys
are arranged in groups of 2s and 3s. The three white keys that
touch each group of 2 black keys are C D & E.
C D E C D E The white keys that touch the 3 black keys are F G A
& B.
F G A B F G A B Many keyboards start with a C on the bottom
(left) of the keyboard, while 88-key acoustic pianos start with an
A on the bottom. Practice playing and naming all the white keys of
the piano.
Name the lowest key on your keyboard _______, the
highest_______.
Play these notes starting at the lowest A and going up to the
top of the keyboard.
A B C D E F G A
Play a key with the Right Hand (RH) or Left Hand (LH) and
identify it. Now watch the Method 1A Video and play Method 1A and
Technique 1A in Piano Marvel. These Files use Middle C and the next
C lower to teach you to play long and short notes (called rhythm.)
In Piano Marvel you can always click on a note to see where it is
on your keyboard. If you play the notes in the right place and at
the right time you will see the notes green when you finish a File.
Playing the wrong keys or too early or late will give you red
notes. Piano Marvel is great for preparing you to play by chord
with other musicians because it gives you immediate feedback about
the accuracy of your notes and rhythm!
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Lesson 2 Sharps & Flats We have used the black keys to learn
the names of the white keys. Now lets use the white keys to learn
the names of the black keys. Play a C, and then play the black key
just to the right. This is called C sharp (C#). Whenever we are
referring to a black key that is higher (to the right) of a white
key we call it a sharp. C# D# F# G# A# C# D#
C D E F G A B C D E Play and name these keys. Start on the lower
C and go up (to the right). When we are talking about the black key
that is just to the left of a white key (lower), then we call it a
flat. Db Eb Gb Ab Bb Db Eb
C D E F G A B C D E
Play and name these keys. Start on the higher E and go down (to
the left).
Play a black note and say both its flat and sharp names. So a C#
is a half step ________from a C, and a Bb is a half step ________
from a B. Half steps are from key to key with NO keys in between,
Whole steps always skip a key with ONE key in between. Another way
to think about it a Whole step is 2 half steps. The foundation of
chords is keys and scales, so lets use what we have learned to make
scales.
Lesson 3 Pentascales A major scale (the source of major chords)
starts on its root the name of the scale and goes up for 7 notes
until you reach the same note one octave higher. Later we will
learn to play the whole scale, but for now we will learn
Pentascales the first 5 notes of a major scale.
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The C pentascale uses only white keys C D E F G. We can use the
C pentascale to learn the pattern for playing any major pentascale.
Use your RH to learn the pentascale, and then have your RH teach
your LH. From C to D is a whole step (skipping C#/Db), and from D
to E is a whole step (skipping D#/Eb), but from E to F is only a
half step! From F to G, another whole step. When we write
pentascales, we want to use each letter of the music alphabet.
Thats why the middle note of the D pentascales is F#, and not Gb.
Play and say the names and numbers of the C pentascale. The half
step is between 3 & 4. If we play 1, 3 & 5 of a major
pentascale we have a major chord. Fill out this chart and practice
playing these pentascales.
1 (w) 2 (w) 3 (h) 4 (w) 5
C pentascale = C __ __ __ __ D pentascale = D __ F# __ __ E
pentascale = E __ __ __ __ F pentascale = F __ __ __ __ G
pentascale = G __ __ __ __ A pentascale = A __ __ __ __
Did you notice that 3 of the pentascales you wrote out have all
white keys in their major chord. Which ones? __________________ The
other 3 have a sharp in the middle. Which are they?
_______________
Files 1 & 2 in Introduction to Chords are playing the major
pentascales of C D E F G & A, counting up by whole steps or
half steps. Practice slowly, at a medium speed, and faster.
In the accompaniment-style music I will be showing you, we play
one note (usually the name of the chord) in the LH, and 3-note
chords in the RH.
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Lesson 4 Major & Minor Chords
Another way of creating chords is by counting half steps. A
major 3rd is 4 half steps above a note. A minor 3rd is smaller,
only 3 half steps above a note.
A major chord has a major 3rd on the bottom and a minor 3rd on
the top. (4 + 3) A minor chord has a minor 3rd on the bottom and a
major 3rd on the top. (3 + 4)
Files 3 & 4 are also known as Stepping Up and Stepping Down
and Skipping Up & Down. The RH plays the Pentascale and the
Major Chord while the LH plays only the root and 5
th of the chord,
Using your scale sheet and your keyboard, write & play these
major chords: C major C E G D major _____________________ E major
_____________________ F major _____________________ G major
_____________________ A major _____________________
I wrote a little song, Choices, that we will learn as our first
chord song. File 5 in Introduction to Chords is this song in the
Key of C. Play the 4 chords of C, F, G, and D as written above and
play the name of the chord with the LH starting with the LH C below
Middle C. File 6 is Choices in the Key of D.
Choices on pages 7 & 8 is written as a lead sheet with the
melody written out if you would like to sing it, and the chords to
play. In contemporary music, the keyboard usually does not play the
melody, but lets the other instruments or the voices carry it. Keep
your RH in the same position and move it up or down as needed.
Later I will show you another way to play chord progressions the
order of the chords that makes up a song, using inversions, but for
now just play them all in root position with the name of the chord
on the bottom played with your thumb. As you will see in the Piano
Marvel files, the LH plays the name of the chord. If there is no
chord name for a new measure, it stays the same from the previous
measure.
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Introduction to Chords File 5.
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Introduction to Chords File 6.
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How to Transpose a Song
Original Key New Key C
C CHORD
D
D CHORD
F CHORD
G CHORD
G CHORD
CHORD
D CHORD
CHORD
Original Key New Key
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To make a minor chord, just lower the middle note of a major
chord one half-step. The major pentascales that had a white key in
the middle will now have a black key, and the ones that had a black
key in the middle will now have a white key. A minor chord has a
minor 3rd on the bottom and a major 3rd on the top. (3 + 4)
Lets change these major chords to minor chords! C C _ E G Cm C _
Eb G_ D _____________________ Dm _____________________ E
_____________________ Em _____________________ F
_____________________ Fm _____________________ G
_____________________ Gm _____________________ A
_____________________ Am _____________________
CHALLENGE!
Db ____Db_______________ * C#m _____________________ Eb
_____________________ Ebm _____________________ F#
_____________________ F#m _____________________ Ab
_____________________ * G#m _____________________ Bb
_____________________ Bbm _____________________ B
_____________________ Bm _____________________
This is all the major & minor chords there are! You can
refer to this sheet if you see a new chord in a song you want to
play.
Files 7 & 8 in Introduction to Chords are playing major and
minor chords.
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How will you see chords written on chord charts? Chords with
just a capital letter are major (C D G), and chords that have a
capital letter and a little m (Cm Dm Em) are minor. Chords that
have a number in them (C7, Cm7, or C2 ) can still be played like a
plain major or minor chord. We will learn to play those other
chords later, because they add extra spice, but it will work to
play just major and minor chords to start with.
Here are some chord progressions used in popular worship songs:
Revelation Song D2 Am C2 G (Key of D) Shout to the Lord A E F#m E D
(Key of A) I Lift My Hands B E G#m F# (Key of B) Our God G#m E B F#
(Key of B) Your Great Name Eb Bb Fsus F Gm Eb Bb F (Key of F) The
Internet is a great place to find songs and chord charts for the
songs you would like to learn. If the chords as listed here do not
sound right with a song from YouTube, it may be in a different key.
Use the chart on page 9 to transpose the chords. Use the keyboards
on the next page to write out the root position chords for a song
you want to play.
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In Introduction to Chords File 9, notice how the one minor chord
adds interest to the chord progression.
It is very common for the chords of a worship song to change on
a consistent rhythmic basis, even if the melody of the song is very
syncopated. Since the chord changes just once a measure, we can add
rhythmic interest in any number of ways. Try playing quarter notes
with either RH or LH, or both. Or try playing the rhythm that you
hear from the drummer. If you are not using Piano Marvel, add a
rhythm from your keyboard for more rhythmic ideas. Files 10 &
11 use the same root position RH chords, but add some
interest with the LH with quarter note rhythm and walking bass
notes. Once you have mastered the song in Piano Marvel, you have a
good grasp of the notes and rhythm, so exercise your own creativity
and play along. You will keep your high score, and can ignore the
red notes. Try these variations: Play the RH chords as quarter
notes instead of whole notes. Play the notes of the chord one or
two at a time instead of all three together, as rocking chords. Try
playing some 8th notes in the RH. Do you have any questions? This
might be a good time to email them to me at [email protected].
Thanks!
mailto:[email protected]
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Lesson 5 Chord Inversions In this lesson, we will study the
inversions of our chords. The three-toned chords that we have been
practicing are called - "Triads." (Think of triangle, or tricycle
three!) Principle: The # of notes played equals the # of ways the
chord can be played. Since a triad is three-toned, it can be played
three different ways (positions): the "root position", the "first
inversion", or the "second inversion." If the Root (chord name) is
the lowest tone of the chord, the chord is said to be played in
"root position." If the Third (3) of the chord is the lowest tone
played, it is said to be in its "first inversion." If the Fifth (5)
of the chord is the lowest tone played, it is said to be in its
"second inversion." For example, the inversions of a (C major)
chord are: Root Position: (C) - (E) - (G) usually played with RH 1
3 5 First Inversion: (E) - (G) - (C) usually played with RH 12 5
Second Inversion: (G) - (C) - (E) ) usually played with RH 1 3
5
Playing chord progressions with inversions will make our music
much more interesting and smooth!
Sometimes you play the chord in any position with the RH, but
the 3
rd of the chord (or 5
th) in the LH instead of the root of the chord.
You will see that on chord charts written as C/E. The note
written after the slash is the note that the LH plays. How would
you play a C/G chord?
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Using your scale sheet and your keyboard, write & play these
major chords,
but in first inversion this time!
The chords in the first column are the most commonly used
chords. With the exception of the Bb chord, they are built on white
notes. Lets learn those first, and then later learn the inversions
for the other chords. C major E G C Db major
_______________________ D major _____________________ Eb major
_____________________ E major _____________________ F# major
_____________________ F major_____________________ Ab major
_____________________ G major_____________________ B major
_____________________ A major_____________________ Bb major
_____________________
Now lets play those same chords, but in 2nd inversion. Circle
the chord
member that will be on the bottom now. Hint: (The C chord will
now have the G on the bottom and the E moves to the top, so the
chord will be G C E.) So you would circle the G in the C chord
above, and then play the 2nd inversion of that chord. Try that for
the rest of the chords above! It may help you to play the root
position chord in your left hand and keep it there as you play the
inversions with your right hand. We can now recognize that the
chord is the same, no matter which of its notes is on the bottom!
Look back at page 10, and play the minor chords in root position,
and 1st and 2nd inversions.
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Using Inversions to Play Smooth Chord Progressions Instead of
moving the whole hand to play different chords, we can keep common
notes the same and move the others to the closest chord position.
For example, the chord progression C F G C could be played (with RH
fingerings)
G 5 A 5 G 5 G 5
E 3 F 3 D 2 E 3
C 1 C 1 B 1 C 1 Chord: C F G C Here are the chords on a
keyboard. You might find it helpful to map out your chord
progressions on blank keyboards. 1 3 5 1 3 5 C E G C F A 1 2 5 1 3
5 B D G C E G Where would be the closest place to play the 3 notes
of the D chord on the bridge of the Choices? (The bridge is a
different part of the song.)
File 12 is Choices in C using inversions.
File 13 is Choices in D using inversions. Write the chords
here.
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D chord A chord G chord
E chord
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Now write D Am C G starting with a 2nd
inversion chord, keeping common notes the same and moving to the
closest chord position.
F# A D D chord A Am chord C E C chord G G chord
File 14 uses D Am C G in these positions.
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Lesson 5 Other Kinds of Chords Music is much more interesting if
we know how to play other chords. In this lesson we will learn
about: other kinds of chords.
Suspend Chord (Asus) A popular chord in worship songs is the
Suspend chord. To make this chord, raise the 3d of a major chord
one half-step. Play it with your 4th finger just like the 4th note
of a RH Pentascale. C = C E G Csus = C F G This chord usually
resolves back to its major chord. It can be a useful chord
progression for background music during ministry.. C Csus C Csus C
(play each chord for at least 1 measure) Spell and play these major
and suspend chords. Resolve to major. D _____________________ Dsus
_____________________ A _____________________ Asus
_____________________ E _____________________ Esus
_____________________ F _____________________ Fsus
_____________________ G _____________________ Gsus
_____________________
Add 2 chord (C2) Instead of playing the 3rd of the major chord
play the note a whole step lower. (RH plays the chord with the 2nd
finger) C2 = C D G D2 = D ________ A2 = A ________ E2 = E ________
F2 = F ________ G2 = G ________
File 15 uses the same chords but starts with first inversion and
uses sus and Add 2 chords. Write on the next page what you hear! It
also uses RH eighth notes between the chords. The music is written
out on page 22.
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F# D chord Am chord C chord G chord D G Gsus chord G2 chord
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7th
Chord (G7) To a major chord, add another minor 3rd (3 half
steps) above the 5th of the chord. Lets change our major chords to
seventh chords!
C major C E G C 7th C E G___Bb D major _____________________ D
7th _____________________ E major _____________________ E 7th
_____________________ F major _____________________ F 7th
_____________________ G major _____________________ G 7th
_____________________ A major _____________________ A 7th
_____________________
Bb major _____________________ Bb 7th _____________________
Remember our rule about the number of possible chord positions?
How many positions can a seventh chord (which has 4 notes) have?
_________ For a C7 chord they would be: root 1st inv 2nd
inv
3rd inv
C E G Bb / E G Bb C / G Bb - C E / Bb C - E - G
Minor 7
th Chord (Cm7)
To a minor chord, add a minor 3rd above the 5th of the chord. So
the Cm7 chord would be C Eb G Bb.
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Please fill in this chart to spell the chords youve learned!
Choose the type of chords you want to write in the last 2
columns.
ROOT MAJOR CHORD
MINOR CHORD
C
C# Db
Db C#
D
D# Eb
E
F
F# Gb
Gb F#
G
G# Ab
Ab G#
A
A# Bb
B
Play them and listen to how they differ in sound!
Remember to email me at [email protected]. Thanks!
mailto:[email protected]
