If you’re ever wanted to play your favorite song on piano, you may have done a search for the music, only to find a sheet full of symbols, numbers, and letters. What you’ve discovered isn’t traditional sheet music – rather, you’ve got yourself a piano chord chart.
Simply put, a chord chart is a summary of harmonic progressions in a song. Some people refer to these as lead sheets or fake books, but in any case, the purpose is the same – to show a pianist what harmonies to play in an easy-to-decipher, universal manner.
But what if you’ve never encountered these symbols before? How can a beginner reading music understand a piano note chord chart accurately and play a song with confidence?
First, we must break down the basics of chord charts, so you’ll know where to start.
What Are the 12 Major Chords in Piano
Learning the 12 major chords on the piano can seem daunting, but once you have mastered each chord, you will be able to play a variety of songs. The 12 major chords are known as:
- C-major
- D-major
- E-major
- F-major
- G-major
- A-major
- B-Major
…and their corresponding sharps or flats.
When playing the chords on the piano it is advised to use root position triads with your thumb placed on the root note. This allows for easier transitions when changing from one chord to another. It is also important to ensure that all three notes of each chord are heard simultaneously in order for it to sound clear.
Learning these basic chords will provide piano players with a foundational understanding of how to create more complex pieces and express their musical ideas.
If you’re ready to learn all the tips for reading a chord chart piano players need to know, it’s time to sign up for piano lessons. Not only will you learn all the ins and outs of piano chord charts, but you’ll also learn helpful skills like what you see in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F35UkNPC1jw
How Do You Memorize Piano Chords?
Every aspiring pianist dreams of having the ability to play any song they hear on the radio without needing to look up the chords. However, memorizing chords can be tricky for beginners. You might find yourself asking, “What is an easy way to learn piano notes” or “How do I memorize all of these chords?” Don’t worry, we have some great tips to help you out!
The first and most obvious option is to use a piano chords chart. This is a great way to quickly learn how different chords are played on the piano. It also serves as an easy reference tool that can be kept nearby when playing. However, if you want to become a true expert at playing and memorizing chords, this should not be your only approach.
Another helpful tip is learning one chord at a time. If you try to memorize all of them at once, it will quickly become overwhelming and difficult to keep track of everything. Instead, focus on mastering one chord before moving onto the next one. Practicing each of them separately will ensure that they are firmly ingrained in your memory before moving onto the next chord.
Finally, it helps to create associations between different chord patterns and melodies that you already know well. This can help give you a mental image or an auditory cue for what each chord sounds like and how it should feel when played correctly on the piano keys.
This method will also make it easier for you to remember which key combinations create which specific chords so that when you come across them in songs later on, you will have no trouble recognizing them immediately!
What a Chord Chart Does (And Doesn’t) Tell You
A printable piano chord chart or lead sheet generally will provide a pianist with the chords of the song. Sometimes, this will include some musical notation (this is often the format of a lead sheet).
However, many times a chord chart will not include specific rhythms or notation of the melody. This is because a chord chart’s primary function is to help a pianist to reproduce the harmonies.
A musician who is reading a chord chart doesn’t necessarily need to know everything about the song. You simply need the harmonic framework.
Now let’s review (or introduce, if you’re new to music theory) the fundamentals of chords and harmonies.
Basics of Playing Piano Chords
There are 12 major and minor chords in the Western musical system. Each major chord has a relative minor chord that also belongs in the ‘family’.
(For this discussion, we’ll assume that you’re familiar with intervals, half-steps and whole steps. If not, check out this review from TakeLessons!)
Every major chord (starting with three notes, called a triad) is built of a root, then a major third, and a perfect fifth from the root note. Minor chords are built with a root note, then a minor third, and finally a perfect fifth from the root note.
Common Symbols in a Piano Chord Chart
In order to differentiate between chords, most chord charts use a similar set of symbols.
Major chords are often capitalized, or they may have the suffix Maj or a capital letter M next to the root note letter. Some jazz and pop charts also use a triangle to designate a major chord.
C DM EMaj B
Minor chords usually will also be capitalized. However, they will commonly be followed by a minus sign, an abbreviation (min) or a lower case “m”.
C- Cmin Cm
As you can guess, the key to reading a chord chart is the ability to determine the quality and root note of the chord when you see it on a chart, and to play that chord accurately.
The cool part? You don’t necessarily need to play the chord the same way every time.
Depending on the style of music and the song, you can reorder the notes of the chord as you see fit, as long as the harmony fits!
Remember that chord charts generally designate the bass note as the root note.
Here’s a couple of examples of C Major Chords played in different ways. Both would be acceptable in a chord chart where C major is called for.
Additional Chord Symbols and Extended Harmonies
Major and minor chords aren’t the only chords that you might find on a chord chart.. Diminished and augmented chords are variations you need to be aware of as well.
Diminished chords are one-half-step smaller than a minor chord, so the upper note is lowered by one-half-step.
These chords are marked “Dim”, d or sometimes with a circle or strikethrough circle (depending on what kind of diminished chord you’re actually playing)
Cdim D F
Augmented chords raise the upper note of a major chord by one-half-step.
C+ Daug
You’ll often see these designated with the abbreviation “aug” or with a plus sign next to the root note of the chord.
Once you have figured out the roots and ‘quality’ of the chords, you may also notice other numbers next to the chord symbol.
These designations are for the upper notes of a chord that extend the harmonies. Common extensions are major and minor 7ths, 9ths, and 13ths.
Gmaj7 Gmin9 Dmin6
To play these harmonies, you must determine the quality of the chord (major, minor, augmented or diminished) and then identify the scale tone (distance from the root note) that the number suggests.
(One important note…when the letter is directly next to a 7th, it designates a dominant seventh – which actually requires a minor seventh over a major chord!)
C7 A7
This takes a little more knowledge of harmonies, but there are several chord reference charts available to help you figure out advanced chords.
Slash Chords
At times, chord charts, especially in jazz and pop, will designate the root note and a secondary harmony to be played above the root note. This is called a ‘slash chord’ and it’s a short-hand way to show you what chord and bass note to play.
When you see symbols like this, remember that the lower letter (to the left) is a single note, but the letter on the top (or right) designates a CHORD.
D/C F#min/E
Playing Your Chord Chart
When playing a chord chart, it helps to be familiar with the song you are playing as the chart seldom reveals much about the rhythm or melody.
That said, you don’t necessarily have to be able to play ‘by ear’ to play a chord chart. You simply need to use the information the chart provides in order to provide an accompaniment.
Additional information may include
- Tempo
- Style
- Lyrics
- Format (chorus, verse, bridge)
Ask Your Instructor For Reading Tips on Piano Chord Chart for Beginners
Utilizing this information, you can begin to play a chord chart with confidence.
Piano chord charts help professional pianists to play all kinds of songs, but beginners can do the same with a little knowledge of harmony, and the willingness to experiment with new ways to form chords.
Have fun and dig into chord charts – you might find yourself playing a lot of songs in a hurry!
And if you’re still not sure how to read a piano chord chart, don’t be afraid to ask your piano teacher for help. They’ll be happy to show you the way!
Allen C. Paul