Chord preview
C major: C E G
Each keyboard runs from C4 (middle C) to B5. Dots mark the notes to play; labels give the chord spelling. Tap a chord to hear it on a piano tone.
Major chords
Minor chords
Dominant seventh chords
Reading the keyboards
Play the keys marked with dots. Each picture covers two octaves, with middle C at the far left. The notes appear in root position: the note that names the chord is lowest. Labels show musical spelling, so E♭ minor reads E♭–G♭–B♭ even though some of those piano keys have sharp names too.
A diagram identifies pitches, not fingering. Choose an octave where your hand feels comfortable; moving every note by an octave preserves the chord. Each chord plays as a block, all its notes struck together.
Building chord qualities
Count semitones upward from the root, including black keys. Major triads use offsets 0, 4 and 7; minor triads use 0, 3 and 7. C major is C–E–G. Lowering E to E♭ makes C minor.
A plain 7 means a dominant seventh: a major triad plus a minor seventh above the root. C7 contains B♭; Cmaj7 contains B natural. Cm7 has both E♭ and B♭. Diminished triads use 0, 3, 6, and augmented triads use 0, 4, 8. Sus2 replaces the third with a major second; sus4 replaces it with a perfect fourth. The picker offers all nine qualities.
Choosing chords for a song
Use the circle of fifths to check a key signature and find its diatonic triads. In G major, I–V–vi–IV becomes G–D–Em–C. For ii–V–I in F, try Gm–C–F; adding the usual jazz sevenths gives Gm7–C7–Fmaj7.
To change keys, move each root by the same interval and retain its quality. Transposing C–Am–F–G up two semitones gives D–Bm–G–A. Work through two chords slowly before adding the others; the practice guide suggests ways to structure a session.
B# Music offers piano and keyboard lessons in Charlottesville.
Questions
What is a chord inversion on piano?
An inversion puts a chord tone other than its root at the bottom. E–G–C is C major in first inversion; G–C–E is second inversion. Try inversions that keep shared notes in place when changing chords.
Can I play piano chords with my left hand?
Yes. You can play the full chord in either hand, or split it between hands. Low, closely packed chords can sound muddy, so try a single bass note on the left with the remaining chord tones higher on the right.
Why do some chords have double flats or double sharps?
Chord spelling preserves the letter pattern of an interval. D♭ diminished needs D♭–F♭–A𝄫, because its fifth must use the letter A. A𝄫 sounds like G on the piano. F♯ augmented uses C𝄪 for the same reason: its raised fifth still needs a C.
What does a slash chord mean?
The letter after the slash names the bass note. C/E means a C major chord with E underneath it. A slash bass can also be outside the chord: C/D places D below C major. The diagrams here show unslashed chords in root position.
