| One of the greatest thrills a pianist can have is to be | | | | (major or minor) is determined by the scale. |
| able to sit at the piano and just play; without music and | | | | That means just like our C major chord which is C E |
| without thought. Unfortunately many pianists never | | | | and G (notes chosen from the major scale), our F |
| learn to do this. They are closely tied to their music | | | | major chord would be F A and C, where A and C are |
| because that’s not only what’s comfortable for | | | | notes from the C major scale. We wouldn’t use |
| them that’s the way they learned. | | | | for example Ab or C# because they do not come |
| However, what if I were to tell you that in as little as | | | | from the C major scale. Likewise for a G major chord, |
| ten piano lessons you could be playing your favorite | | | | G B and D, the note B and D come also from the C |
| melodies without music and also be able to improvise | | | | major scale. |
| as well? Would that be something you’d be | | | | The number of the chord is important as well. Since |
| interested in? Take a moment and picture you sitting | | | | our C major chord is built on the first note of the scale |
| at the piano at a party and just playing. How does it | | | | we call this one (1). The F major chord is four (4) |
| feel? Great, that’s what you need to feel if | | | | because it is built on the 4th note of the C major scale. |
| you’re going to do what it takes to learn properly. | | | | And, the G major chord is five (5) because it’s the |
| Let’s get started. In our first piano lesson, you must | | | | 5th note of the C major scale. |
| understand how music is structured in order to be able | | | | Coincidentally, the chords C, F and G or 1, 4 and 5 are |
| to improvise. Most western music is based on what | | | | what most classical and popular music is based upon. |
| we call tertian harmony, which simply means chord | | | | The vast majority of songs use the chord progression |
| structures that are based on intervals of three. For | | | | 4, 5 to 1 which is the most common chord progression |
| example a C major chord is made up of the notes C | | | | there is. |
| E and G. Each of these notes is spaced a third away | | | | Understanding the 4, 5, 1 chord progression is essential |
| from the next. | | | | to understating how to improvise. Knowing that 4 is |
| So, assuming that all chords are based on tertian | | | | followed usually by 5 and then resolving to 1 is of high |
| harmony, then next thing you need to know is where | | | | importance if you wish to be able to play your favorite |
| do the notes we choose for our chords come from? | | | | music without using sheet music. |
| Well, they come directly out of a major or minor scale. | | | | In our next piano lesson we’ll discuss how to |
| For example; let’s take a C major scale which is C | | | | substitute richer chords for the 4, 5, 1 progression and |
| D E F G A B and back to C. When we build chords on | | | | how to choose our melody notes so as to create and |
| top of each of the notes of a major scale we would | | | | improvisational theme. |
| build them in intervals of 3 and the quality of the chord | | | | |