7 Must-Know Piano Chords

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A great chord progression is the key to any great song. Here are a few of my favorite chords that you can use to enhance your music by creating amazing new chord progressions. In this video, I’ll teach you how to form them, and also give some examples of how to use them to create your own songs!

Not sure how to read sheet music yet? Here’s a free series made just for you!

The first piano chord we’re going to look at is the Dominant 7 chord in C major. The notes that make up this chord are C, E, G, and Bb. This chord is great if you’re looking for a bluesy, jazzy vibe! 

The Add 9 chord contains the same triad as the previous chord (C, E, and G), but instead of Bb we’ll be adding D! Why do we call it Add 9? Simple! Since there’s eight notes from middle C to the octave C, we just count up one more note to reach D. 

Next is the Minor 7 chord. The notes are C, Eb, G (a minor triad), as well as the flat 7th note (Bb) we used in the first chord. This one is extremely diverse that’s applicable in all kinds of music.

The Suspended 4 (Sus4) chord is one of my favorites! It contains the notes C, F, and G (the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes in the scale). You’ll notice when people use this chord, they’ll usually bring it back down to the basic triad to give it a nice resolution. 

Dark, menacing, and villainous are just a few words that describe the Diminished chord. In the key of C major, this one is made up of C, Eb, Gb, and A. Each one of these notes are a minor third apart! 

The next chord on the list is the Augmented chord. It consists of C, E, G#, and C. Contrary to the Dimished chord, each one of these notes are a major third apart which make it sound very spacious and open.

And finally let’s take a look at the Major 7 chord! This one is dreamy, beautiful, and even a little romantic. It’s made up of C, E, G, and B. 

Other Piano Lessons You’ll Love:

►How To Play Beautiful Chords

►Blues Chords Made Easy

►6 Essential Piano Chord Progressions

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Jordan Leibel is passionate about songwriting, improvisation, and helping you become a creative musician! He’s worked as a composer for film, commercial, and theatre projects as well as a session musician and producer for recording work.