Chords
Piano chords for beginners
A chord is three or more notes played together. The two you need first are major, which sounds bright and settled, and minor, which sounds sad. Both are built from a root note, a middle note and a top note, and the only difference between them is that the middle note of a minor chord sits one semitone lower. Learn the shape once and it works from any starting note.
C · E · G Open → ♪ G major
G · B · D Open → ♪ D major
D · F# · A Open → ♪ A major
A · C# · E Open → ♪ E major
E · G# · B Open → ♪ F major
F · A · C Open → ♪ A minor
A · C · E Open → ♪ E minor
E · G · B Open → ♪ D minor
D · F · A Open → ♪ B minor
B · D · F# Open → ♪ C minor
C · Eb · G Open → ♪ G minor
G · Bb · D Open →
Questions
Common questions about piano chords
Which piano chords should a beginner learn first?
C major, G major, F major and A minor. Those four will get you through an enormous number of songs, they all sit comfortably under one hand, and three of them use only white keys.
How do you play a major chord on piano?
Put your thumb on the root note, count up four semitones for the middle note and another three for the top note. Play them with fingers 1, 3 and 5. The same count works from any key, black or white.
What makes a chord minor instead of major?
One note. The middle note drops by a single semitone. Everything else stays the same. Play C, E, G and then C, E flat, G one after the other and you will hear the whole difference.
Do I need to read music to play chords?
No. Chords are shapes, and most people learn them by hand position long before they read them. Reading helps later, and the reading guide is free when you want it.