Guidance (archived)

For each chord, there exist alternative ways to play them. In some cases, one can play inversions instead of the normal chord. I use inversions in order to fit my fingers more comfortably on the keyboard.

For more about Chords and fingering, see blog.

Using the Piano Chords Dictionary, I have created a minimum set of chords which could be used as a base for learning to play piano. Left hand plays chords, and right hand the melody.

With this minimal set, one can play many songs. For more advanded, one can learn step by step to play chords with 4 fingers (ie. X7 and Xm7 chords).

One of the first problem, when starting to play piano chords, is where to put the fingers. What is the best way? How the hand should be placed?

The following list provides links to information sources. I have collected various alternatives of the same topic, since there is more than one way to explain these 🙂

Chord Charts and fingering

• Good list of chords with piano keys are available at Piano Chords Dictionary.
• Another nice list as Piano Chord Chart is made available by key-notes.
• Yet another approach explaining common chords, how to count keys without relying on charts, and fingering.
• And last, but not least, is the information at about.com related to finger positions figures and fingering in general.

The figure below shows the link between Treble and Bass clefs.

Videos

Same information is available via videos

• How to find/learn chord on piano

And there are even some piano courses available, for example

• Piano Lessons For Beginners, Lesson 1 (sample lessons)
  • Lesson 4, using fingers and playing scale
  • Lesson 5, Chords (basics, and practising with right hand)
  • From the same person, see also
    • Piano Lessons For Beginners Wonderful Tonight

left hand: Chords, right hand: melody

A full course is available via ezpianochords.com, worth to check out “Piano Chord Tutorial” (10 lessons)

• lesson 1, the basics (notes, and 4 chords)
• Lesson 2, chords with both hands
• Lesson 3, chords and riffs
• Lesson 4, Chords and Basic Boogie
• Lesson 5, Piano chords
• etc.

An Example Set

I have described my fingering in another blog.