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During a piano lesson, you might have stumbled upon piano chords. Learning piano chords are often not pursued because of the notion of complexity and that you can opt to play the piano without the knowledge of it. But most don’t have an idea how beneficial it is to learn piano chords.

5 Benefits of Learning Chords in Piano

1. Learning chords can help you create various sounds you like on the piano. There are no certain rules in applying chord techniques and that you can create as many styles and applications as you can.
2. Learning chords can help you become the best accompaniment for singers and musicians. The beauty of music resonates with the lyrics of the music and the voice of the singer. It’s made even more beautiful with the accompaniment of the right chords in the piano.
3. One way to increase your confidence is by learning easy-to-follow piano chords and scales. It gives you a sense of mastery when you know what you’re doing and you’ll be able to bring your own style to the music.
4. You open up yourself to new techniques when you consistently play the piano chords. Learning a lot of techniques give a lot of possibilities for you in the ability to play more familiar and new music.
5. Learning piano chords can develop the skill of playing by ear. You won’t be limited to only playing what’s written in the piano music sheet but you can play the music depending on the situation or ambiance.

Getting Started with Basic Piano Chords

Before you decide to rip that piano sheet, let’s dive into the basic piano chords. The basic piano chords can help you build your skill and technique. That’s why it’s important to master the basics first.

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Major Chord

This is one of the foundations of the chords that you’re going to learn so it’s helpful to become proficient in this. To do the major chord, play the first, third, and fifth notes in the major scale. You can start by finding the root note, aka the note that the scale is named after. So, if you’re playing the C major chord, start with a C note. Then, play the C major scale until the third note in the scale. Finally, add the fifth note to create a major chord.

Minor Chord

The second most basic piano chord is the minor chord. To do the minor chord, play the first, flat third, and fifth notes in the major scale. Play the C minor chord by finding the C major which is C, E, and G. Instead of playing E, move the middle note to the left which is Eb. In effect, the minor chord will be C, Eb, and G.

Five Chord

The major chord has three notes while the five chord only has two notes. The reason why it’s called a five chord is that you start with the first note and add the fifth note in the scale. An easy way to remove this chord is by playing a major chord but removing the middle note. If you play the C scale which is C, E, G, remove the middle note which is E. Your five chord will start with C and end with G.

Suspended Chord

The suspended chord (sus chord) is contemporary and made up of 1, 4, and 5 notes in the major scale. To play this chord, start with the root note then add the fourth and fifth notes. This chord can give a different style to the music if played in place of a major chord.

Two Chord

 The two chord is similar to the sus chord but instead of playing the fourth note, the second note is played. To play this chord, start with the root note then add the second note and end with the fifth note.

Conclusion

Learning piano chords need not be complex. This means that there’s need to jump to advanced chords to produce great music. Focus on mastering the basics and you can surely learn the advanced chords easily.