{"id":4829,"date":"2021-09-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=4829"},"modified":"2023-01-11T12:33:15","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T20:33:15","slug":"chords-the-foundations-of-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/chords-the-foundations-of-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Love Chords! (The Foundations of Music)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you&#8217;ve spent any time with us at Pianote, you know that we LOVE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chords<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, why the hype about chords? After all, most people associate chords with guitar&#8230;not piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But chords are the <em>foundation <\/em>to virtually ALL piano music! We&#8217;ll show you exactly how in this lesson. And by understanding chords, you&#8217;ll be able to play music (classical, jazz, pop, whatever) much, much faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i> for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\ud83d\udd0d <strong>The Chords Hiding In Your Sheet Music<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you look at sheet music, it <em>may <\/em>look like<em> <\/em>there are two lines of music, one on top and one on the bottom. But instead of looking at music horizontally, try looking <em>vertically<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, take a look at this piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Why%20We%20Love%20Chords\/fur%20elise%20unmarked.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"840\" height=\"200\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Beethoven&#8217;s &#8220;F\u00fcr Elise&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mutopiaproject.org\/cgibin\/piece-info.cgi?id=931\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source\/Full Score<\/a>). For an easy arrangement and tutorial on this classic, take a look at our lesson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/easy-classical-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/easy-classical-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;F\u00fcr Elise&#8221;<\/a> by Beethoven, one of THE most popular classical pieces of all time, and a piano favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may look like two lines of music, but it&#8217;s actually entirely built up of chords, mainly the Am and E chords. The Am chord contains the notes A-C-E and the E chord contains the notes E-G#-B. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll find that parts of the melody and harmony have notes straight from these chords!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Why%20We%20Love%20Chords\/Fur%20Elise%20-%20chord%20analysis.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty neat, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how does this knowledge help us learn and play songs? Let&#8217;s look at another Beethoven classic: the legendary &#8220;Moonlight&#8221; Sonata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\ud83d\ude80 <strong>Use Chords to Learn New Songs FAST<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/moonlight-sonata-easy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;Moonlight&#8221; Sonata<\/a> is a favorite among pianists. It sounds so moody and beautiful, but it&#8217;s not an easy song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here&#8217;s a shortcut: chords!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Why%20We%20Love%20Chords\/moonlight%20intro.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of reading each and every single note in this intro (which makes me anxious!), I see the music in chords. I see that in the first measure, my right hand is playing C#m chord in 2nd inversion (G#-C#-E) and I&#8217;m playing the root note (C#) with my left hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the second measure, I&#8217;m playing the same C#m chord in 2nd inversion with my right hand and B in my left. This is a C#m\/B <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/slash-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slash chord<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, in the third measure, I play a root position A chord and then a D\/F# chord where I play 2nd inversion on my right hand, and I play F# as my bass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you know chord shapes very, very well, you can identify the inversion shape of a chord quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\ud83d\udd8c\ufe0f <strong>Borrow Chords to Improvise on Them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A fine way to start songwriting is by improvising on a song you already know and love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my video example with &#8220;Moonlight&#8221; Sonata, I riff on the opening passage by playing it like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Why%20We%20Love%20Chords\/lisa%27s%20improv%20on%20moonlight%20sonata.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example, I:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Turned the right hand broken chords into solid chords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transposed the right hand up one octave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changed the rhythm of the left hand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8230;yet I&#8217;m using the same chords!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The intro is shrunk to two measures as a result. And already, I feel like writing a pop song over Beethoven&#8217;s progression!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>\ud83d\udcfb<\/strong> <strong>Learn Your Favorite Pop Songs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, a solid understanding of chords will help you learn to play virtually <em>any<\/em> song you hear on the radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Once you know how to read chord symbols, you can visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ultimate-guitar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate-Guitar.com<\/a> and download a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/reading-chord-charts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chord chart<\/a> (the website has free chord charts available for most pop songs). Then, play the chords over the song and you&#8217;re all set!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<video playsinline=\"\u201c\u201d\" autoplay=\"\u201c\u201d\" src=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Why%20We%20Love%20Chords\/chord%20foundations%201%20-%20compressed.mp4\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/video>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">If you&#8217;re a little more advanced, you can build out those chords into arpeggios. Then, add riffs, fills, and twinkles to personalize your performance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<video playsinline=\"\u201c\u201d\" autoplay=\"\u201c\u201d\" src=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Why%20We%20Love%20Chords\/chord%20foundations%202%20-%20compressed.mp4\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/video>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, knowing your chords gives you BIG advantages. Chording will help you play classical music, jazz, pop, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to brush up on your chords, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/chord-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chording section<\/a> of our blog or take a deep dive through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this guide<\/a>. If you want a more hands-on intro, check out our FREE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/chord-hacks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chord Hacks<\/a> course!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And as always&#8230;happy practicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chords aren&#8217;t just for guitar \u2014 in fact, they form the foundations of piano music. Use chords to quickly read music and learn new songs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[507],"tags":[1088],"class_list":["post-4829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chord-theory","tag-ch"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4829"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10616,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4829\/revisions\/10616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}