Piano Chords Overview

Any melody has a harmonic basis, which can always be represented as a sequence of several chords. Beginning pianists will find it useful to learn how chords are built on the keyboard of the instrument, what types of chords there are, and also what are the rules for chord progression within a key (how they are combined with each other). All this is described in the article using the example of the simple and most common harmonic constructions.

A chord in music theory is a consonance consisting of at least three different notes, which are built or can be placed in thirds. In this case, it is absolutely unimportant what their height is. For example, a C major chord is the simultaneously sounding notes "C", "E" and "G", referring to both the first and any other octaves.

Those sounds that are far in pitch from the tonic "to" can theoretically be arranged in thirds from it: "mi" will be placed in thirds from "to", and "salt" - in thirds from "mi". The following chord pictures illustrate this rule.

The same figure also shows an example of a chord in which there are 6 notes, but in fact, having collected them in a tonic structure (in thirds), you can see that three of them are duplicates of the sounds "C", "E" and "G" other octaves.

At the same time, it is often revealed that another polyphony, consisting of three or more sounds, cannot be called a chord - there is an example of this in the figure below: the consonance of four notes contains 2 sounds "do" and 2 sounds "mi", being, as a result of this, not a chord, but a two-sound.

Simple three-note piano chords are easy to build... The keys of the instrument are located in one row, therefore, to play any tonic triad, it is enough with three fingers (first, third and fifth) of any hand to press them through one (both white and black).

Before considering the different types of chords, depending on the number of sounds in them, you should understand how the steps are counted in the main scale. The latter consists of seven sounds: do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si... On the staff it looks like this:

These notes make up one octave (in this case, the first). If you continue recording, then the second, and then the third and fourth octaves will begin, in which the sounds have exactly the same names in the appropriate order. But even up to the first octave there are sounds, only they have a lower pitch.

We will now consider the sounds of the first octave, starting from the "C" note. The note "C" for the presented scale (scale) is a tonic sound - the basis (support) of this series of sounds. It is considered in elementary music theory to be the first stage of the scale.

They are distinguished by minor and major scales. In this case, we are dealing with a major scale.

The rest of the scale is shown in the following image.

In other words, each sound in the scale has its own ordinal number (step), denoted in music theory by the corresponding Roman numeral from I to VIII (the octave must end with the first step of the next octave in height, so this sound is often denoted, in contrast to the first step of the previous octave, with the number VIII).

Continuing the topic of chords, it should be noted that chord accords are obtained from the use of sounds that are in any scale in the interval of a third from each other, if you start with a tonic sound... The third from the tonic is the third degree, the third for which, in turn, is the fifth degree, then the seventh and even higher degree can be present in the chord. In music theory, when analyzing extended (two-octave, for example) harmonic constructions, the designations of the steps relative to the initial octave are used so as not to be confused with the sounds of one octave (IX, XI, XIII).

This is the simplest major or minor consonance of the three basic sounds of the tonality: prima (I degree), thirds (III degree) and fifth (V degree of the scale). I will further call it "tonic". Here are some examples of such chords in major and minor:

It is not difficult to take them on the piano - three fingers of any of the musician's hands are quite enough, if, of course, the sounds are located in the main form (in thirds). In the following example, where triads are presented in an expanded form, including additional notes from other octaves, the fingers of one hand will not be enough.

In this harmony, in addition to the sounds of the main triad, which determines the tonality and mode of the chord as a whole, the fourth sound is the seventh (VII degree of the scale). In this case, the harmonic construction is called a seventh chord. Depending on the modal features of the construction, as well as on the intervals between the thirds in the chord from I to VII degrees, there are several types of seventh chords:

• large major;
• large minor;
• minor major;
• minor minor;
• reduced;
• semi-reduced;
• enlarged.

Below is a table of the types of these seventh chords. The information in it will be understandable even for a beginner after reading the further sections of the article.

When one more third is added to the seventh chords - the IX degree (nones) - non-chords are obtained. They consist, therefore, of 5 sounds spaced from each other at distances of thirds, starting from the tonic.

These constructions can also have different spacings between all their thirds, fifths, sevenths and nones, which affects their functional features, the main of which, in any case, is the modal affiliation (major or minor).

For beginners, it will be enough to understand the triads - both in the basic form (in thirds) and in inversions. To make it easier to use the types of chords in keys, it is better to represent them in alphanumeric notation. It is based on the international standard for notation of musical sounds with letters of the Latin alphabet:

• letter A denotes the sound "la";
• B - "si";
• C - "before";
• D - "re";
• E - "mi";
• F - "fa";
• G - "salt".

Chords are indicated by letters corresponding to tonic sounds... If we are talking about major triads, then they are indicated only by an uppercase letter, for example, C major - C, E major - E, and so on. Minor triads are supplemented with a lowercase letter "m»: In C minor - Cm, in E minor - Em.

In addition, when constructing triads, you need to know the interval distances between the notes of the main scale:

This will help budding musicians understand many of the issues of chord formations in keys and their combinations with each other.

Let's take a closer look at how to build major and minor triads in different keys.

First of all, you need to understand that any major triad consists of two thirds. For example, a C major construction is best suited. In notes, it looks like this:

The first third (note "C" - note "E") contains the interval of a large second (2 tones), and the second third ("mi" - "G") - a small second (1.5 tones). This is the rule (formula) for constructing a major chord from any tonic sound.

Let's take on the construction of D major harmony. The tonic is "re", from which, at a distance of 2 tones (the first third of the chord), the sound "F-sharp" is spaced:

• from "re" to "mi" 1 tone;
• from "E" to "F-sharp" 1 tone (since to pure "F" - 1/2 tone, so you need to raise it by a semitone, that is, to "F-sharp").

The second third contains just 1.5 tones:

• from the note "F-sharp" to "G" - 1/2 tone;
• from "salt" to "la" - 1 tone.

Raising the first third is also necessary in the E, A and B chords.

In the F and G chords, all sounds remain clean, without alteration.

The minor formula for constructing the main triads differs from the major in that here, on the contrary, the first third has a distance of a small second (1.5 tones), and the second has a large second (2 tones).

Let's take an A minor (Am) chord as an example.

From the note "A" to the note "B" - 1 tone, and from the last to the note "C" - 1/2 tone. The first third contains 1.5 tones, which is required according to the minor formula. The second third (between "do" and "mi") consists of two tones:

• from "to" to "re" - 1 tone;
• from "re" to "mi" - 1 tone.

This adds up to an interval of 2 tones.

Based on this rule, all minor triads from any sound are built and played. In addition to Am, pure sounds have the following minor structures of the diatonic scale:

• D minor (Dm);
• in E minor (Em).

The other 4 triads from pure tonic sounds (Cm, Fm, Gm and Bm) have either a third or a fifth note alteration (sharp, flat).

It must be said that chords can be used in music not only in the basic form, in which the sounds are arranged in thirds, but the lower sound is necessarily the tonic. Most often they are used in slightly modified forms, where the lower sounds can be any of those present in the construction (third, fifth, seventh, and so on). These types of chords are called inversions.

Let's take a closer look at the principle of chord inversion using the example of triads. The modal affiliation of the structure does not matter here.

Here's what the two inversions of the C major chord would look like:

The first of the above references, where the tonic is shifted up one octave, is called a sixth chord in musical harmony. (or the first inversion of the root chord). The bottom sound is the third. The distance from the sound "mi" to "sol" is equal to the interval of sixths, from where the name of this appeal came (there was a fifth).

In the second inversion, in which there is a fifth sound at the bottom, it is called a quartext chord.... Between the lower G note and the tonic C, the interval is a fourth, and the total construction interval is a sixth chord. All this together gave the circulation such a complex name - "quartext chord".

Inversions of the main types of chords give the musician greater freedom of action, diversify the accompaniment and bass line, and facilitate mixing of voices in polyphony.

To play accompaniment or piano pieces, learn how to use harmony patterns correctly. And for this we will slightly expand the knowledge of musical harmony that beginners need at the moment. In this regard, we will consider only light chords and their sequences. That is, to understand and fully master the principles of constructing harmonic consonances and their sequences in keys, applying the knowledge gained in practical exercises, only triads and lightweight major seventh chords will be used - harmonic constructions that sharpen the culmination of the composition.

In musical works (plays, songs), chords are played in a specific sequence based on the key in which they were written by the composer. True, the key can be changed to suit the singer or for the convenience of playing, but in any case, the given chord sequence in the new key is preserved according to the rules for their transposition.

Each key has three reference steps for the development of musical composition. They are sounds located at I, IV and V scale steps of a particular key. It is on them that the so-called main chords of the fret are built.

For clarity, it is better to choose the scale of keys in C major and A minor, by examples of which we will show the main chords of the major and minor modes.

You can see that the main triads built on the I, IV and V degrees in the C major scale are major ones. This is true for all major keys, not just C major.

In any minor key, all major chords are minor.

A few more rules for beginners from harmony about the sequence of chords in classical musical works of simple texture, romances, many folk, bardic and tourist songs:

• usually, such compositions begin and end with a tonic chord (triad of the 1st degree);
• after a 1st degree triad, both a subdominant (a 4th step triad) and a dominant (a 5th degree chord) can follow;
• the subdominant can be followed by either a dominant or a tonic chord;
• after the dominant there is a strict resolution in the tonic.

Let's summarize the obtained data in a table:

It turns out that in C major key the main chords are:

• C (C major) - tonic triad (I);
• F (F major) - subdominant (IV);
• G (G major) - dominant (V).

In major keys, mostly joyful, danceable, solemn, comic musical compositions are written, since major harmonies contribute to such a mood.

It is necessary to play the main chords to a major key with the fingers of your left hand within the minor and first octaves in the classical sequence: C-F-G-C.

Keyboard showing left hand fingering:

Play the same sequence as in the previous exercise, but only with the fingers of the right hand within the first and second octaves (one octave higher.

Notes showing the right hand fingering:

Play the chord progression of Exercise 1 with your left hand, but use the inversion instead of the basic chord type.

In A minor key, the main triads are:

• Am (in A minor) - tonic triad (I);
• Dm (D minor) - subdominant (IV);
• E (E major) - dominant (V).

Minor keys convey sad melodies to listeners... The beautiful sounding of minor chords is also to the liking of romantic natures, dreamers and lovers.

You play a series of sustained chords in A minor in a 4/4 time signature, changing the chord from basic to inversion for every half-measure.

Here is the sequence: Am-E-E7-Am-A7-Dm-G-C-A.

Major seventh chords E7, A7 are taken in triads, but this does not degrade their functionality.

And in conclusion - a table of the main chords on the piano keyboard for beginner pianists: