| As a music teacher I am frequently asked how to play | | | | chords because the keyboard can't recognise certain |
| left hand easy piano chords when learning to play the | | | | chords, such as 11th and 13th chords. |
| piano, electronic keyboard and organ. Well the first | | | | Actually, keeping the amount of chords you learn to a |
| thing you need to do when learning chords is to learn | | | | minimum will help you to play more pieces of music |
| the popular or basic chords first. These are major | | | | and the way to do this is to learn how to substitute |
| chords, minor chords and seventh chords. These piano | | | | one chord for another as mentioned above. For |
| or keyboard chords are basically the foundations on | | | | instance, if you learn to substitute all 9th chords for 7th |
| which other chords are built. For instance let's look at | | | | chords, then this would cut your learning time by a |
| the C family of chords: | | | | hundred percent, obviously you have to learn the 7th |
| C | | | | chords first, there are 12 major chords with a seventh |
| C6 | | | | and 12 Minor chords with a seventh and we can even |
| C7 | | | | reduce this further. Instead of learning all 12 major and |
| C9 | | | | minor chords all at once, just learn what you need. You |
| C11 | | | | do this with the help of key signatures. Most beginners |
| C13 | | | | start learning to play in the key of C and there are only |
| All the chords above are basically a C chord with an | | | | a few easy piano chords associated with this key, |
| added 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th or 13th. So when learning | | | | they are, C, G, Dm, Am and sometimes F. If you pick |
| chords it's important to learn the basic C chord first. If | | | | pieces of music in this key you can learn these chords |
| you come across a C11 or C13 and you don't know | | | | faster. When you are accomplished with those chords |
| what it is, just play the C chord. That's not to say you | | | | move on to the next key which is normally G. |
| shouldn't eventually learn the 11th and 13th chords, but | | | | This is the easiest and most enjoyable way of learning |
| for beginners, just playing the C chord is adequate and | | | | to play, it means you get to play music virtually straight |
| harmonically correct and it means you can keep | | | | away and you can move at your own pace, learn as |
| playing the piano or keyboard without stopping, which | | | | many easy piano chords as you personally want. |
| is what every learner wants to do. | | | | Many people just want to sit down and play a few |
| The other thing to consider if you are learning on the | | | | tunes, nothing fancy and if you are one of those |
| electronic keyboard is that if you use the Auto Chord | | | | people then this is the way to go. Remember you don't |
| system that many of these keyboards have, then you | | | | need to learn a ton of chords be able to play music, |
| won't be able to play the more advanced keyboard | | | | just learn what you need and enjoy yourself. |