Here is an easy 2-chord pattern that even beginners can learn to play right away. All it consists of is two chords — and I’ll keep it in the key of G to keep it simple — G and C. By playing the G chord in 2nd inversion (in other words, upside down) you can move to the C chord just by moving your thumb up one key and your little finger up one key, making it very simple to learn. Watch this 8-minute video and you’ll quickly get the idea:

In addition to the normal notes of a chord, you can add notes called “color tones”. They are called that because they add color and interest to a song. Some of the color tones you can add are 6ths, 7ths, major 7ths, 9ths, flatted 9ths, flatted 10ths, 11ths, 13ths, and combinations of all of these. Watch this short video that explains color tones:

To learn about a course on Color Tones, click here.

How To Turn a Chord Into a “Cascading Waterfall Run”

It’s pretty easy to take most any chord (4 note chords are easier than 3 note chords, generally, simply because of the way your hand is constructed) and turn it into a “cascading waterfall” of sound.
For a complete course in creating piano runs, please click here: Piano Runs Galore!

The “Walk On Up Blues/Gospel Chord Progression” is an obvious but useful technique in the toolbox of the pianist. After all, the I to IV progression is used all the time in music, so there are multiple times in most songs where this technique — or some variety of it — can be used.

For more good stuff like this, come on over to Praise & Gospel Piano!

Chords, as you well know, are based on scales, and the most basic form of chord is a triad — a three note chord consisting of the root, 3rd, and 5th of a major scale. The most usual way to play that chord is as a stack of 3rds (the interval between the root and the 3rd of the chord is a major 3rd, and the interval between the 3rd and the 5th is a minor 3rd, hence, a stack of 3rds). But when you invert a chord, you always have a combination of 3rds and 4ths, giving a sense of balance to the chord.

But it is also possible to create a chord using a stack of 4ths by using tones outside the triad, such as 6ths, 7ths and 9ths. In this short video I demonstrate how to create a chord made of the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of the scale which I call a “6/9” chord (but you’re not going to see it in written music, since most people call it a 13th).

One of the easiest techniques you can use in your left hand in 3/4 time is the walkup. Any time the chord progression is up a perfect 4th (like C up to F, or F up to Bb, etc.) you can “walkup” in octaves in your left hand. But be sure to mix in other techniques — any single technique when taken to extreme gets boring, so mix it up.

If you’re a guitar player who desires to learn the piano, you’re already ahead of the game. You can transfer your knowledge of chords and chord patterns to the keyboard.

This means you could be playing a tune at the piano in no time. That’s because chords are chords, no matter what instrument they are played on.

The composition of chords is the same whether you apply them to a guitar or a piano. The only difference is where the application takes place. On a piano, you use black and

white keys on the keyboard to form different chords. It’s akin to pressing strings to form chords on the fret board of a guitar. You press certain strings at certain fret

positions to get a certain chord sound.

Guitarists can learn the piano rapidly because they already understand chord patterns. Some guitarists know chord patterns as written musical notation; others know these

patterns by sound. Some know both methods. A guitarist who can read chord patterns, written using proper music notation, will be able to read a chord pattern on sheet music

whether its for guitar or piano. All the guitarist has to do is learn the keys of the piano and then play the written music at the keys.

Someone who does not know how to read music must first learn the written form. Then he or she must learn the keyboard keys before putting the two together to play. A

guitarist saves time by already knowing the written element.

What about guitarists who cannot read music, but play by ear? It is still easier for them to learn the piano because they have an ear for chord sounds. Those new to music

must tune their ear to the sound of chords. They cannot usually just sit at a piano and say, “I’m going to play a C Major Triad.” They must first understand what comprises

this triad. When they play it, they must know whether the sound is right.

Guitarists who understand chord construction and know a chord’s sound when they hear it are further ahead. When they locate the appropriate keys at the piano and play the

chord, they know by the sound whether they’ve played it correctly. This is because they’ve heard the chord many times before on the guitar. The chord will sound the same

only with the piano’s characteristic sound underpinning it.

Guitarists will also learn to experiment and improvise on a piano faster than one who has never played another instrument before. Guitarists constantly manipulate chords,

always trying new voicings and chord combinations. When they undertake piano study, they will do the same. Since they already know the theory and architecture of chords,

and the scale notes they are born of, they can begin manipulating them at the keyboard immediately. There is no need to learn the reasons behind what they are doing.

The guitar and the piano have much in common when it comes to playing chords. If you know guitar chords, you will not find the piano an intimidating instrument. You will

find it’s another vehicle for your musical creativity: one you already know something about.

EVERYBODY Ought to Learn to Play At Least a Little Chord Piano!

There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn

enough chords to be able to “chord a song” at the piano.

By “chord a song”, I mean the ability to play 3 or 4 chords on

the piano in some sort of rhythm while you or someone else sings

the tune. To do this, you don’t need to be a Van Cliburn; all you

need to do is learn a few basic chords and be able to more back

and forth between them in some organized rhythmic pattern.

For example, did you realize that all of these songs (and

hundreds more) can be sung or played with just 3 chords?

Auld Lang Syne

Amazing Grace

Kum Ba Ya

Silent Night

Joy To The World

Jingle Bells

Happy Birthday

Down In The Valley

On Top Of Old Smoky…

and hundreds or maybe thousands more!

Add just one more chord to the basic 3, and you can play another

thousand songs or so. So why not learn a few chords and start

your chording career?

Here are my top 10 reasons for learning “chord piano”:

1) It’s easy. Learn 3 chords and start in — it’s not rocket

science!

2) Even though it’s easy to get started, you don’t have to stop

there. You can learn more and more chords and more rhythm

patterns and get really good if you choose to.

3) You’ll be able to play “Happy Birthday” while the gang sings

it, since it only has 3 simple chords.

4) You’ll be able to play half-a-dozen Christmas carols like “Joy

To The World”, “Silent Night” because they too have just 3 simple

chords. In case you haven’t noticed, Christmas comes every year,

so every year you’ll get better as you participate in family

gatherings.

5) You can help your kids learn to play the piano, guitar, or

most any other instrument by learning chords. Most teachers don’t

teach chords, so you’ll be giving your kids an advantage by

learning chords.

6) People will admire you. It’s true. Musicians are popular.

Anyone who can play anything is in demand at parties and social

gatherings. And if you can “chord” while others sing, you’re

bound to be popular.

7) Piano playing using chords is good for your brain. Studies

have shown that people who actively participate in music do their

brain lots of good. And since chords require 3 or 4 notes at a

time instead of one, you are giving your brain a good workout.

Piano playing, particularly using chords, is good exercise for

your wrists and fingers. (Take the time to learn about correct

hand position, though!)

9) Piano playing is excellent therapy for the stress of life.

Many professional people come home from a hard days work and

relax by expressing their emotions on the keyboard. Play a few

dark and angry chords, and you’ll be surprised how much better

you feel!

10) Piano playing is a blast. It’s just plain old fun. So learn 3

or 4 chords and get going. Maybe you’ll stop there and enjoy it

the rest of your life.

But just maybe you’ll love it so much that you keep going and

turn yourself into an excellent piano player who can read music

as well as play chords!

To get started, go to http://www.chordpiano.com