Chords
How to play piano chords
A chord is three or more notes played together. To build a major chord, put your thumb on a note, count up four semitones for the middle note and another three for the top note, then play all three with fingers 1, 3 and 5. A minor chord is the same shape with the middle note one semitone lower, which is the entire difference between the bright sound and the sad one.
Click any key to hear it. Your computer's A to K row works too.
Which chords should I learn first?
C major, G major, F major and A minor. Between them they carry an enormous number of songs, three of them use only white keys, and all four sit comfortably under one hand without stretching. Learn those four before adding any others, and learn to move between them smoothly rather than learning ten in isolation.
How do I know which fingers to use?
For a basic three note chord in the right hand, use fingers 1, 3 and 5, which is thumb, middle and little finger. In the left hand use 5, 3 and 1, which is little finger, middle and thumb. The hand shape stays the same as you move to different chords, which is what makes chords quicker to learn than melodies.
What is an inversion?
The same chord with its notes in a different order. C, E, G can also be played E, G, C or G, C, E. It sounds like the same chord because it contains the same notes, but the hand moves far less between chords when you use inversions, which is what makes accompaniment smooth rather than jumpy.
How do chords relate to scales?
Chords are built from scales. A major chord takes the first, third and fifth notes of its major scale. That is why learning a scale gives you the chords in that key almost for free, and why the two are worth learning alongside each other rather than separately.
Keep going
Read next
Every common major and minor chord with its notes and fingering, shown on a keyboard you c Open → ♪ Piano scales for beginners
Why scales matter, which to learn first, and how to practise them without boredom. Start w Open → ♪ How long does it take to learn piano?
Honest timelines: a simple tune in days, comfortable two-hand playing in months, fluent re Open → ♪ A beginner piano roadmap
A clear order for the first six months: keys, hand position, first tunes, both hands, read Open →
Put it into practice in the practice room, or start at the beginning with the five minute walkthrough.
Questions
Common questions
What is the easiest piano chord?
C major: C, E and G, all white keys, played with the thumb, middle finger and little finger.
What makes a chord minor?
The middle note is one semitone lower than in the major version. Everything else stays the same.
How many chords do I need to play most songs?
Four will get you a very long way. C major, G major, F major and A minor cover an enormous amount of popular music.