{"id":7307,"date":"2022-03-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=7307"},"modified":"2023-06-09T12:08:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T19:08:50","slug":"beginner-piano-secret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/beginner-piano-secret\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner Piano: A Piano Player&#8217;s Best-Kept Secret"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Let me tell you a secret\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you know chords, you know how to play the piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m not kidding. A basic understanding of chords allows you to play hundreds of your favorite songs. You don\u2019t need to know how to read sheet music, go to music school, or spend hours and hours on theory lessons. Just knowing chords will take you <em>far.<\/em><\/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 Learn Piano For Free<\/b><\/h2><p>Inspiring tutorials. Fascinating articles. Exclusive interviews. We create piano content anyone, anywhere can enjoy for free. Don&#8217;t miss out, sign up for more free lessons.<\/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\"><strong>Why Chords Are Everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We often think of music as being made up of melody, harmony, and rhythm. Not chords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you break songs down, they are really a series of chords. You can learn more about this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/chords-the-foundations-of-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This goes for all songs, not just guitar pop songs. Chords form the basis of classical music too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/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:10%\"><\/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:80%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why Are Piano Chords EVERYTHING In Music?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bG99H--7tIE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\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:10%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\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\"><strong>What You Need to Know About Chords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So what exactly do you need to know about chords to unlock the piano? A good place&nbsp; to start is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/diatonic-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diatonic chords<\/a>. These are the chords that naturally occur on a given scale.<\/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\/Diatonic%20Chords\/diatonic%20chords%20c%20major.png\" alt=\"C major diatonic triads in the treble clef on the musical staff.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Take C Major. The first note of C Major is C. If we build a chord on C Major (C-E-G), this is the I chord. If we build a chord on the second note, D (making D-F-A), this is the ii chord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Degree of Scale (C Major)<\/th><th>Diatonic Triad<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1 &#8211; C (tonic)<\/td><td>C-E-G<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2 &#8211; D (supertonic)<\/td><td>D-F-A<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3 &#8211; E (mediant)<\/td><td>E-G-B<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4 &#8211; F (subdominant)<\/td><td>F-A-C<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5 &#8211; G (dominant)<\/td><td>G-B-D<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6 &#8211; A (submediant)<\/td><td>A-C-E<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7 &#8211; B (leading)<\/td><td>B-D-F<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>String a bunch of diatonic chords together and you get a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chord-progressions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chord progression<\/a>.<\/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:10%\"><\/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:80%\">\n<p><video playsinline=\"\" autoplay=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/Diatonic%20Chords\/claw%20diatonic%20triads%20-%20compressed.mp4\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" width=\"100%\"><\/video><\/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:10%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most common chord progressions ever is the I-V-vi-IV. This progression is <em>everywhere<\/em>, so if you know it, you can play, like, half the songs on the radio.<\/p>\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\"><strong>An Exercise to Get You Started on Chords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Try this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Play a fifth (C-G) on your right hand. This is like a C chord without the middle note.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With your left hand, play the first, fifth, sixth, and then fourth note of the C Major scale. That\u2019s C &#8211; G &#8211; A &#8211; F.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, try to sing one of your favorite pop songs on top of that. In the video, I use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/easy-romantic-piano-songs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cThe Rose\u201d by Bette Midler<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And voil\u00e0, you\u2019re playing a SONG!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>This is just the beginning\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of you will want to play something fancier than this, but what we\u2019ve just done is the <em>foundation<\/em> to playing piano with chords. Master it and you WILL master the piano!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re ready for the next step, check out our course on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/riffs-and-fills\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">riffs and fills<\/a> to fluff out your playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the meantime, practice, practice, practice! Try the same exercise in a different key, such as G or F Major. Try it in a minor key!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you want to learn more, here are some related free lessons to inspire you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-play-piano-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Play Piano Chords: Triads, 7ths, Chord Extensions and More<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/diatonic-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diatonic Chords, Explained<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-chord-inversions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Piano Chord Inversions, Explained<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/the-number-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Nashville Number System for Piano (Beginner\u2019s Guide)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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>If you know chords, you can play virtually anything on the piano. Learn more about this hidden secret to piano that&#8217;s perfect for beginners.<\/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":[1088,1134],"class_list":["post-7307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chord-theory","tag-ch","tag-easy-chords"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7307","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=7307"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14122,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7307\/revisions\/14122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}