Piano Diana Blog: How To Form Basic Chords

I have a few piano students who are now playing songs from Fake Books, like Hal Leonard Scott The Piano Guy's Favorite Piano Fake Book Volume 2 . The kids know how to read notes and now they're applying their chord knowledge and playing popular songs with both hands. Here's some information I think you'll find very useful that every musician should know.

How To Form Basic Chords

Basic Chords and the Rules For Working Them Out

Although chord finders are valuable tools on the Internet, what do we do when we’re sitting at the piano and don’t have access to the computer, trying to figure out chords?

Here’s a breakdown on forming many chords you’ll use in your piano playing.

Major

Minor

Dominant 7th

Sus4

Sus2 and add9

Diminished

Major Sevenths

Major Chords

Starting from the root note, count up FIVE semi-tones (5 half steps). Always use the root note when counting. This will bring you to the second note in the chord. From and including this note, count up FOUR semi-tones (4 half steps). This will bring us to the final note in the chord.

Example: C Major - C is the root note in this chord. Count up 5 semi-tones from the C: C=1, C#= 2, D=3, Eb=4, E=5. Then, count up 4 semi-tones from the second note in the chord: E=1, F=2, F#=3, G=4. Play the C, E and G together and you have a C Major chord. By using this 'FIVE then FOUR' rule, you can work out any major chord.

Minor (m) Chords

For minor chords, simply reverse the rule for working out major chords. Instead of counting 5 then 4, count 4 then 5.

Example: C Minor - C is the root note in this chord. Count up 4 semi-tones from the C: C=1, C#=2, D=3, Eb=4. Then, count up 5 semi-tones from the second note in the chord: Eb=1, E=2, F=3, F#=4, G=5. Play the C, Eb and G together and you have a C Minor chord. By using this FOUR then FIVE' rule, you can work out any minor chord.

Dominant 7th (7) Chords

With 7th chords, you add an extra note onto the chord. This extra note is always the note two semi-tones (1 whole step) below the root note. However, you don't play this note at the bottom of the chord - you simply move it to the top of the chord.

Example: C7 – Form a C major chord... C, E, and G. The root note of this chord is C. Two semi-tones (1 whole step) below the root note is Bb. Add this Bb to the top of the chord and we have a C7 chord- C, E, G and Bb. The same rule applies for working out minor 7th chords.

Sus4 Chords

Example: Csus4

Play C major - C, E, G

Move the middle note of the chord UP one semi-tone (1 half-step). In this example,

Move E up one semi-tone. This brings us to F. Play the C, F and G together and

we have a Csus4 chord.

Sus2 and add9 Chords

Sus2 Chords - Example: Csus

Play C major - C, E, G.

Move the middle note of the chord DOWN two semi-tones (1 whole step). In this example, move the E down two semi-tones. This brings us to D.

Play the C, D and G together and we have a Csus2 chord.

Add9 Chords - These chords are nearly identical to sus2 chords. The only difference is, is that you play the middle note as well. So, Cadd9 is made up of, C, D, E and G

Diminished (dim) Chords

Example: Cdim

Play C major - C, E and G.

Move the TOP TWO NOTES of the chord DOWN one semi-tone (1 half-step) - In this example, move the E and G down one semi-tone... this brings us to Eb and F#.

Play the C, Eb and F# together and we have a Cdim chord.

Major Seventh (M7) Chords

These chords are used a lot in Jazz music.

With major 7th chords, you add an extra note onto the chord. This extra note is always the note ONE semi-tone (1 half-step) below the root note. However, you don't play this note at the bottom of the chord - you simply move it to the top of the chord.

Example: CM7 – Form a C major chord... C, E, and G. The root note of this chord is C. One semi-tone (1 half-step) below the root note is B. Add this B to the top of the chord and we have a CM7 chord... C, E, G and B.

Now you have some music theory to apply to your piano playing. You now know how to form chords you’ll be using in your music.

I would like to recommend two resources that I personally own in my library that I refer to often:

Chords 101 & 102

300pg Piano By Ear Home Study Course

photo credit: F A C E via photopin (license)

All the best,