[For Piano Beginners] Let's learn useful chords!

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• Piano teacherOkada Atsuko
  Based in Yokohama, I teach piano, electronic organ, and Eurhythmics while continuing my band activities. For those who love music and want to play the piano, I offer beginner-friendly ways to enjoy learning. Adult Piano Starting with Chords: http://happy.ap.teacup.com/otona-piano/ JUN’s Piano Lessons: http://piano-daisuki.at.webry.info Music Lessons for Band Beginners: http://ameblo.jp/band-lesson/

Classical players should learn chords too.

I recommend this not only for people who play keyboards in bands or want to learn popular piano, but also for those who want to play classical music—in short, for anyone who wants to play the piano.

Some people might think chords have nothing to do with classical music, but many pieces in Beyer that beginners often use are frequently built from left-hand chords C (do–mi–sol), F (fa–la–do), and G (so–ti–re).

If you think in terms of melody and chords rather than treating each piece as something entirely separate, reading the score becomes much easier and you can practice more efficiently.

For example, the chord C consists of C, E, and G, and you can create various accompaniments using these notes.

As shown in the figure below, a single chord can vary in many ways by playing the notes simultaneously, arpeggiating them, or changing the order in which they’re played.

All of the figures above are C.

Of course, how you play depends on the piece, but you'll be able to change it as you like (arrange it) yourself.

How to learn to code: start with the ABCs

So then, how should we actually go about memorizing code?

There’s a lot of code, so it’s hard to memorize everything at once.

First, learn the root (the root note), and then keep learning the chords used in your favorite songs as you play them.

The root refers to the note that supports the chord, and in bands it’s often played by the bass.

C was the chord do–mi–so, but the root of C is do.

There are various types of chords like Cm (C minor) and C7 (C seven), but as long as it starts with a C, the root is Do (C).

If there is an A as shown in the figure below, all the roots are A (la), and if it is B, all are B (si).

First, let's learn the root notes of chords.

If it’s just the root, you’ll memorize it quickly by playing two or three of your favorite songs.

First, while looking at the sheet music with chord symbols for your favorite song, play the root notes of the chords with your left hand.

Write ABC... as shown in the diagram below next to the title in the margin of the music score.

Please be sure not to write the solfège (do-re-mi) for the root on the staff lines.

If a sharp (#) or flat (♭) is indicated in the notation, you can simply apply it to that note as is.

For example, A♯ becomes La♯, and E♭ becomes Mi♭.

Let's memorize the code!

Once you’ve learned the root, the next step is chords (harmony).

I think it’s fine to do this in parallel with the root, but try playing only the chords while looking at the sheet music with chord symbols for your favorite song.

It would be nice if you could play it with either your right or left hand.

The code is arranged with every other one like this.

Place A (La) or C (Do) at the very bottom, and then stack notes by skipping one each time (in thirds) on top of it, and you’re done.

This is the basic form: for C it’s do-mi-so (C–E–G), and for G it’s so-si-re (G–B–D). But as you can see in the first diagram, C doesn’t have to be do-mi-so; it can be so-do-mi or mi-so-do, or any other order—as long as it’s made up of do, mi, and so.

First, let’s just learn one form and remember it.

Of course, by “memorize,” I mean being able to play it on the keyboard.

Order to learn code

You can learn chords from the ones used in your favorite songs or the songs you want to play, but if you’re a kindergarten teacher, nursery teacher, or aiming for those professions, start by memorizing the I, IV, and V chords in the four keys that come up often: C major, G major, F major, and D major.

In the key of C major, the I, IV, and V chords are C, F, and G; in the key of F major, they are F, B♭, and C.

You can see that quite a lot of the same code is being used.

There are various ways to finger it, but we’ll save that for next time. For now, try practicing with the basic form.

Since the piano can produce many sounds at the same time and often takes charge of harmony, knowing chords is very useful.

In that regard, when you buy a digital piano or keyboard for practice, be sure to pay attention to the polyphony as well.

Polyphony refers to the maximum number of notes that can be sounded simultaneously. The higher the polyphony, the more you can play without notes cutting off—not only when performing with both hands, but also when using the pedal.