| If you want to learn piano chords that sound smooth | | | | teachers make sure you knew every word in the |
| and professional, it's really a lot easier than most | | | | language before you started talking? Of course not! |
| people think. So many beginning and intermediate | | | | And why should it be any different when playing |
| pianists let the sheer number of chords, alterations, and | | | | piano? |
| voicings overwhelm them and stop them in their tracks. | | | | It shouldn't! |
| But once you learn a few simple fundamentals, you'll | | | | When you study chords for a song with just a few |
| be able to play beautiful piano chords faster than you | | | | chords, simply focus on those chords and nothing else. |
| ever thought possible. | | | | Remove all the alterations and first learn the basic |
| Start With The Basics | | | | chords - major, minor, diminished, augmented, 7th. Then, |
| Most of the most complicated, beautiful, and | | | | once you're able to play the song with those chords, |
| professional-sounding piano chords are simply | | | | start adding back in the alterations until you can play |
| variations of the basic major, minor, augmented, and | | | | those smoothly. |
| diminished triads (3-note chords), or the dominant 7th | | | | After all, you really just want to play the song your |
| chord (which is not a triad, but which has it's own | | | | working on, right? So why learn chords that you don't |
| unique "flavor"). Before you can play piano chords that | | | | even need for the song?! |
| sound like the pros, you absolutely must be able to | | | | Play What Sounds Good To You |
| quickly read and play the basic chords. | | | | One last thing - develop your own ear and style when |
| The easiest way to do this is to say and play the | | | | you learn piano chords that you like to play. Don't let |
| basic chords as you try to play them as quickly as | | | | others tell you what's right or wrong - it's music, after |
| possible, moving up and down the piano keyboard | | | | all, which is a very person, creative thing for most |
| through all chord inversions. An inversion is when the | | | | people. Listen and talk to other pianists, try to find out |
| root is somewhere other than the bottom of the chord. | | | | what chords makes their styles unique, and use your |
| For example, C major is C - E - G in root position, but | | | | own best judgment when playing chords. That will give |
| is E - G - C in 1st inversion and G - C - E in 2nd | | | | you your own musical personality and help you set the |
| inversion. Playing and saying inversions is one of the | | | | mood that you want to set for yourself and your |
| fastest ways to learn piano chords quickly and easily. | | | | listeners. |
| But there's no need to memorize ALL the piano | | | | Using these tips, you can learn piano chords faster, |
| chords right away, when all you need to do is... | | | | more easily, and more enjoyably than you ever |
| Learn Them As You Need Them | | | | imagined. |
| When you were much younger, did your parents or | | | | |