Figure Out The Chords
Now we’re about to dive deeper into the area of music theory as we learn how to put notes together to make chords that create harmony.
Remember that each major scale has 8 notes in it. 7 are unique but the bottom and top note are the same note, just an octave apart.
You can build a chord on every single note in each scale!
It’s really incredible just how much music can come out of just 8 notes!
If you’re playing in the key of C…build chords on each note of the scale by simply playing 1, 3 & 5 fingers, on notes C, E, & G. Now repeat this starting on the next consecutive note going all the way up through the entire scale.
For the C scale, your chords would be:
Notice how the 1st and last chords are actually the same notes, but again, they are an octave apart.
Also notice the numbers next to each chord. See how the number corresponds to where the first note falls in the scale itself? It’s in numerical order, and we actually call these chords by these numbers.
When you add chords to a melody line, you will be able to choose from any of these 8 chords to match with the notes in the melody.
Most often, however, we use specific ones, that are called Primary Chords.
The Primary Chords – there are 3 of them for each Key Signature are:
Chord 1, Chord 4, & Chord 5
This means that in the above example if you take the numbers next to those chords for what your primary chords are in the key of C, they would be:
1) A-C-E
5) G-B-D
This is true for any key signature you’re playing in.
Tutorial : Bob Marley
If you can play the four basic chords with your left hand, you’re already halfway there. Now it’s time to add the melody with your right hand. In the following video, you can see how to play the world-famous melody from Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” with your right hand while playing the basic chords in the left hand.
When I Was Your Man Bruno Mars
When I Was Your Man is a song written by the American pop artist Bruno Mars.
It was released in 2013 in the album Unorthodox Jukebox.
Upon its release, the song was a hit and reached 4,000,000 sales in the United States alone.
It is a nostalgic yet dynamic track, which is very appealing to todays piano players.
You can also read our selection of the best piano pop songs if you are interested in this genre.
When I Was Your Man is a piano song with chords that are fairly easy to play.
We will now learn how to play them.
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Fallin’ By Alicia Keys
Neo-Soul/R& B Ballad
Fallin’ was the debut song from Alicia Keys back in 2001. The song became a success not only because of its beautiful, repeating R& B melodic line, but also because Alicia Keys was the writer, singer, and instrumentalist on the recording . The lyrics are very meaningful, and piano-wise, the song challenges your jazz/R& B/pop playing, as well as .
Heres how to play Fallin’ on the piano:
Thank you Eric Blackmon Guitar for the use of this video.
I Just Cant Wait To Be King
Another Disney tune worth looking into is I Just Cant Wait To Be King form the Lion King movies. While there are a lot of great arrangements of this one available, my favorite is from the Faber piano books.
This version is written in C major, but it holds true to the original tune. The rhythms are a bit simplified as this is an intermediate level book. Everything is reduced to either quarter notes for the most part.
There are some occasional E flats that do appear. In a few areas, there are also eighth notes and tied rhythms. While this version does not feature as much syncopation as the record, it still sounds great and its easy to play.
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Easy Pop Songs To Play On Piano
Do you ever hear a pop song on the radio and wish you could play it too?
Those songs seem so complicated. You might think it would take years of practice to be able to play your favorite tunes.
But thats not true! There are pared-down versions of those songs that even beginners can learn. Start practicing now and youll be leading sing-a-longs at the piano in no time.
Not really into classical music but still want to learn how to tickle the ivories? Read on to see our list of 15 easy pop songs to play on piano instead.
Popular Piano Songs With Easy Chords
There are good reasons why the piano is the most popular instrument on the planet. The astounding power and dynamic range of the piano is nothing short of incredible, and with it, songwriters and performers are able to convey a wide range of moods, sounds, and emotions. Today, were going to show you how to play some popular piano songs, but first lets talk about what the piano is and where it came from.
Recommended Reading: Remember Me Piano Sheet Music
Take Me To Church Hozier
This is a fun on one, because the recording is piano heavy giant thumping pop piano throughout.
The chords arent hard, but the progression is kind of long.
The general idea is this:
Em, Am, Em, Am
There are few variations, going to G, and then to D and C.
The chorus is a whole other thing, with big crashing low notes.
Again, this one is fun to play along with, because the piano performance on the track is great.
Beginner Piano Chords: Learn Four Simple Chords To Play Hundreds Of Songs
Is it possible for a beginner to start playing songs at the piano when they only know four simple chords? Well, were not talking about Chopin or Bach. Were talking about playing beginner chords. Theyre actually four simple chords to play hundreds of songs. You dont have to go through years of traditional piano lessons to develop the skills to do this.
I will say that learning a few basic skills at the piano will make it much easier for you to achieve the goal of being able to play these four simple chords.
First of all, you should know the seven lettered notes in music: A,B,C,D,E,F, and G. That should not be a struggle for you. Its too easy and basic for you not to take the time to learn them.Beyond knowing the notes on the piano is understanding the concept of playing in a key of music. All a key of music is a menu of seven different notes in which you choose from. The easiest key for beginners to play in is the key of C Major. This is mainly because there isnt any combination of black and white keys to confuse a beginner at the piano. Whether the key of C Major is the easiest key to play in overall, can be debatable. But you could agree that it is the easiest key to visualize because it consists of all the white notes on the piano keyboard. Just choose any white note and count to seven and then youre right back where you started.
Each note in a key of music has a corresponding chord. Those chords in the key of C Major are:
Until next time, Go Play!
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Stay With Me Sam Smith
The best part about learning Stay with Me is that youll also learn I Wont Back Down by Tom Petty at the same time I kid. But the songs are remarkably similar!
The chords to the verse are: Amin, F, C.
The chords in the chorus are the same, but you can add a G on top of the Amin chord to create an Am7 chord. Just a little color!
Theres also whats called a passing chord. Theres a quick little E major chord that pushes you into the last part of the chorus.
The video does a good job of showing this.
All About That Bass Meghan Trainor
This is a fun, chart-topping song. The chords to this are A Bmin E A. Each of these chords is played for two bars and the entire progression is eight bars. The good news for you is that this progression is repeated nonstop throughout the whole song. Practice playing the bassline in the left hand first and then add the melody in the right hand. Listen for how the melody in the verse is different from the chorus. Later in the song, the chords are played with constant eighth notes. Check out the video below for a play-along tutorial:
Thank you Zachary Marsh for the use of this video.
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Where You Are Leeland
Leeland is a worship band I havent really paid attention to. But they make incredible, congregational, easy-to-sing worship songs, and Where You Are is one of those excellent songs from them. And its incredibly easy to play this song on the piano.
Where You Are is originally in the key of C arguably the easiest key to play on the piano. And there are four chords and only one chord progression that gets repeated throughout the entire song.
The chord progression for Where You Are by Leeland is C Amin Dmin F
It will take some practice to play this song the right way, especially if you decide to play the right-hand melody. So take your time and learn or watch the piano tutorial for different nuances on how to play Where You Are on the piano.
I cant get enoughNo, I cant get enoughOf your amazing love
No, I cant get enoughI cant walk awayNo, I cant walk awayFor I have seen Your faceNo, I cant walk awayI just want to be where You areI just want to be near Your heartThere is nothing like your loveThere is nothing like your love
Here Again Elevation Worship
Here Again, by Elevation Worship, is one of my favorite worship songs. I love the song, personally, and I love playing it on the piano.
This song is part of Elevation Worships album Hallelujah Here Below, which was released in September 2018. What makes this song beautiful is its simplicity. You should be able to play this song easily on the piano, even if you are a beginner.
The root key of the song is D, and there are four chords in this song D, G, A, and Bm. And there are two chord progressions in the song. The chord progression of the Intro and Verse is Bm A G . And the chord progression for the Chorus and Bridge is D A Bm G
Will you meet me here againCause all I wantWill you meet me here again
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A Thousand Miles Vanessa Carlton
This magnificent piano earworm title A Thousand Miles is a staple for enthusiasts who enjoy piano pop.
Originally titled Interlude, Vanessa Carltons debut was released in 2002. It is a simple melody, written in the key of B, but the speed can intimidate beginners.
Remember to start slowly until you master it. The left hand repeats the same three notes throughout .
And the right-hand intro is a simple riff going back and forth between the B and the B octave, with a few notes based on the B major scale.
Common Piano Chords Chart
When it comes to playing the piano, pianists have thousands of chords to select from, with some chords being more popular than others. Check out some of the most common chords in the piano chord chart below, or keep reading to find out more about piano chords.
The most common piano chords include:
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Who This Course Is For:
- Anyone with a desire to play piano or keyboard and wishing to improve their quality of life by opening opportunities that playing piano brings.
- The course is suitable for anyone from ages 7 to 70, wishing to play songs in the way most popular songs are played. By using just chords.
- The course would be suitable for anyone wishing to play piano quickly, who may or may not, wish to learn with music later. Learning with music first takes much longer to be able to play songs. Learning by chords first is much quicker. Everything taught is done using normal standard terminology and methods. Perfect for more advanced learning at a later date. Many are quite happy being able to play thousands of songs without music.
- Intermediate level pianist would not gain much benefit from this course. This course starts at beginner level and approaches intermediate level by the end of the course.
Jackie Clark began learning piano at 7 years of age. By her early 20’s she had become a full time piano and keyboard teacher. Later she added guitar lessons to her music schools.
She successfully ran music schools in both the United Kingdom and Cyprus before moving to Malta.
Her teaching is now exclusively on-line which fits in well with her composing, recording and authoring of music books.
Jackie provides all support herself, ensuring the quality of support is second to none. Udemy provide her with the perfect platform to teach students with a sound system for supporting students.
Easy Piano Songs That Sound Complicated But Arent
Do you want to impress people on piano but you only have basic skills?
It sounds like some beginner piano songs and pop songs on piano would be a great thing for you you just need to make sure they can be learned.
This is why I keep this list of 25 easy piano songs that sound complicated but aren’t and update it where possible.
According to this study by Peter Jutras, learning and playing piano gives people feelings of accomplishment and confidence. This can also apply to other instruments like the ukulele and trying to learn drums.
Learning some easy piano songs is a big help. Read on for my guide to these 25 simple piano songs.
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Not Afraid Jesus Culture
Not Afraid by Jesus Culture is a simple song that can be learned and played by beginner pianists quite easily. This should also be fun to play.
Not Afraid, just as the title of the song depicts, is a song about having the confidence and faith in God that hell help you overcome any challenge life throws at you. And its such a powerful song.
When I go through the waters, I wont be overcomeWhen I go through the rivers, I will not be drownedMy God will make a way so I am not afraidWhen I am in the fire, I will not feel the flameIll stand before the giant, declaring victoryMy God will make a way so I am not afraid
Do You Long To Introduce Your Students To Classical Piano Sheet Music
Try these intros and excerpts – they are a non-threatening way to approach these pieces.
These are different from the rest of the classical piano music on this site, in that they are short introductions, or excerpts from longer works.
Here are the pieces you will find on this very new page:
Allegro Burlesco, by Kuhlau
Can-Can by Offenbach, the fun middle section with descending octaves.
Canon, by Pachelbel, the introduction with broken chord inversions.
Canon, the melodic, quick-moving section further into the piece.
- ideas for note-reading and also rote learning,
- my favorite book selections, and more.
You will also find vocal & guitar helps on that page. Please click on the link above.
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Titanium David Guetta Feat Sia
Although David Guetta gets top billing on this one, the phenomenal Australian songbird, Sia, steals the show.
Another option on our list of easy popular songs to play on piano, Titanium, is an anthem peppered with production effects that keep it compelling and moving along.
Both hands work throughout, but the left-hand position stays the same for the verse, only moving during the chorus. The sustain pedal can be depressed at the beginning.
As you become more comfortable, you can release and depress the pedal just before a new series of notes.
The song is written in C minor, and the quick Allegro tempo carries throughout.
Practicing Chord Progressions In D Major
Just like you did with the C major key, you can begin practicing chord progressions after you grasp each chord individually. The more challenging chords in this key will be the chords that contain the new black keys. Pay particular attention to D, A, B minor, and F# minor when you practice.
To begin learning chord progressions, start again by switching between two chords in the key. You can start with the D major chord and practice alternating to A major and back again.
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How To Play Piano Songs With Easy Chords
The best part of learning to play the piano is when you can finally find songs to play with simple chords. Theres great joy in playing a fun song with a simple piano arrangement, or looking through simple chord charts and making music. Finding things to play on the piano can be difficult however, because a lot of times you wont be able to tell if there are just four chords in an entire song. Sometimes a musician can make a guess about how simple a pop song will be by judging on when the song was written, or by using a tutorial video. Instead however, weve made a list of five easy pop songs to play, with easy chords to learn: simple left hand chords, and mostly single notes in the right hand.
- Fall in love with the music – Learn your favorite songs whether they’re classical, pop, jazz or film music, all at a level that suits you.
- Enjoy interactive piano lessons – Learn with courses that help you master everything from music theory, chords, technique and more.
- Get real-time feedback – Improve your practice with rich feedback as Skoove listens to your playing and highlights what went well and areas for improvement.
