Piano chords: how to build and play them
A chord is three or more notes played together. On the piano you build one by counting half steps from the root: a major chord is 4 then 3, a minor chord is 3 then 4, a diminished chord is 3 then 3, and an augmented chord is 4 then 4.
A chord is a group of three or more notes sounded at the same time. The simplest chords are called triads because they have three notes. Almost every song you know is built on a handful of them, and the piano is the best instrument for seeing how they work, because every note is laid out in a straight line in front of you.
This page teaches you to build any chord yourself, so you do not have to memorize a chart. Below you will find the chord chart for every key and an interactive chord finder, but the real skill is counting half steps. Once you can do that, every chord in every key is within reach.
What is a chord on the piano?
The lowest note of a chord in its basic form is the root, and it gives the chord its letter name. The next note up is the third, because it sits a third above the root. The top note is the fifth, a fifth above the root. Together they make a triad.
Look at the keyboard below. The chord C major uses the keys C, E and G. Between them there are other keys you skip. That skipping is what makes a chord sound full: the notes are spread out in thirds instead of being packed side by side.
How do you build a chord by counting half steps?
A half step is the distance from one key to the very next key, black or white. C to C♯ is a half step. E to F is a half step too, because there is no black key between them. To build a chord, start on the root and count half steps upward.
The quality of a triad depends on two stacked thirds. A major third is 4 half steps. A minor third is 3 half steps. Mix and match them and you get the four triad types.
| Chord type | Root to third | Third to fifth | Root to fifth | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 4 half steps | 3 half steps | 7 | Bright, stable |
| Minor | 3 half steps | 4 half steps | 7 | Darker, sad or serious |
| Diminished | 3 half steps | 3 half steps | 6 | Tense, unstable |
| Augmented | 4 half steps | 4 half steps | 8 | Dreamy, unsettled |
Memory trick: a major chord is 4 then 3, and a minor chord is the same two numbers flipped, 3 then 4. Both add up to 7, a perfect fifth. Diminished squeezes the fifth smaller, and augmented stretches it wider.
Try it from G. Count 4 half steps up from G and you land on B. Count 3 more and you land on D. So G major is G, B, D. For G minor, count 3 up from G to reach B♭, then 4 more to reach D. G minor is G, B♭, D. Only the middle note moves.
What do the four triad types look like?
Here are all four built on C. Notice that the root never changes. The only differences are one or two notes moving by a single half step, which you can see on the staff as an added flat or sharp.
You can read more about each of these on its own page: the minor chord, the diminished chord and the augmented chord.
How do seventh chords work?
Add a fourth note a third above the fifth and you have a seventh chord, because the new note is a seventh above the root. The kind of seventh you add changes the chord's character. A dominant seventh adds a note 10 half steps above the root. A major seventh adds a note 11 half steps above the root.
| Chord | Symbol on C | Built from the root | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominant seventh | C7 | major triad plus a 10 half step note | Bluesy, wants to move on |
| Major seventh | Cmaj7 | major triad plus an 11 half step note | Smooth, dreamy |
| Minor seventh | Cm7 | minor triad plus a 10 half step note | Mellow, relaxed |
| Half-diminished | Cm7♭5 | diminished triad plus a 10 half step note | Dark, jazzy |
How do you read a chord symbol?
A chord symbol is a short label written above the staff or in a lead sheet. It tells you the root first, then the quality, then any extras. A plain letter such as C or G means a major triad. A lowercase m after the letter, as in Am, means minor. The word dim means diminished and aug or a plus sign means augmented.
Numbers add notes on top. C7 is a dominant seventh. Cmaj7 (also written CM7 or CΔ7) is a major seventh. Cm7 is a minor seventh. Cm7♭5 is half-diminished. A slash such as C/E means play a C chord with E as the lowest note, which is an inversion. Symbols are not perfectly standardized, so you will see several spellings of the same chord from different publishers.
What are inversions?
You do not always have to play the root at the bottom. If you move the root to the top, the same three letters form a different shape. This is called an inversion. C major in root position is C, E, G. In first inversion it is E, G, C. In second inversion it is G, C, E.
Inversions let your hand move less from one chord to the next. Smooth movement is a big part of sounding musical. The full story is on the chord inversions page.
How should you finger a chord?
For a root position triad in the right hand, use fingers 1, 3 and 5. That means thumb on the root, middle finger on the third and little finger on the fifth. This spreads the hand comfortably and works for almost every triad. In the left hand the same notes use 5, 3 and 1, with the little finger on the root.
For a seventh chord, many players switch to 1, 2, 3 and 5 so that all four fingers have a note. Keep your wrist level, your fingers curved, and let the weight of your arm do the pressing rather than squeezing with your fingertips.
How can you practice chords?
- Pick one chord, say C major, and find the notes by counting 4 then 3 half steps.
- Play it with fingers 1, 3 and 5 several times, letting all three notes sound together.
- Move up by half steps and play the same shape from each new root. Check each one by counting.
- Add the minor version by lowering only the middle note.
- Play the root in your left hand and the full chord in your right hand, in steady quarter notes.
Practice tip: play two chords back and forth very slowly, such as C major and F major, until you can switch without looking. Then add a third chord. Most beginner songs only need three or four.
When you are ready to put chords in order, head to chord progressions. If you want to understand the notes themselves first, see piano keys labeled.
Piano chord chart
Every major, minor, dominant seventh, major seventh, minor seventh and diminished chord, with its notes. Click a chord for piano and guitar diagrams.
| Root | Major | Minor | 7 | Maj7 | m7 | Dim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C C E G | Cm C E♭ G | C7 C E G B♭ | Cmaj7 C E G B | Cm7 C E♭ G B♭ | Cdim C E♭ G♭ |
| C♯ | D♭ D♭ F A♭ | C♯m C♯ E G♯ | D♭7 D♭ F A♭ C♭ | D♭maj7 D♭ F A♭ C | C♯m7 C♯ E G♯ B | C♯dim C♯ E G |
| D | D D F♯ A | Dm D F A | D7 D F♯ A C | Dmaj7 D F♯ A C♯ | Dm7 D F A C | Ddim D F A♭ |
| E♭ | E♭ E♭ G B♭ | E♭m E♭ G♭ B♭ | E♭7 E♭ G B♭ D♭ | E♭maj7 E♭ G B♭ D | E♭m7 E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ | D♯dim D♯ F♯ A |
| E | E E G♯ B | Em E G B | E7 E G♯ B D | Emaj7 E G♯ B D♯ | Em7 E G B D | Edim E G B♭ |
| F | F F A C | Fm F A♭ C | F7 F A C E♭ | Fmaj7 F A C E | Fm7 F A♭ C E♭ | Fdim F A♭ C♭ |
| F♯ | F♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ | F♯m F♯ A C♯ | F♯7 F♯ A♯ C♯ E | F♯maj7 F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯ | F♯m7 F♯ A C♯ E | F♯dim F♯ A C |
| G | G G B D | Gm G B♭ D | G7 G B D F | Gmaj7 G B D F♯ | Gm7 G B♭ D F | Gdim G B♭ D♭ |
| A♭ | A♭ A♭ C E♭ | G♯m G♯ B D♯ | A♭7 A♭ C E♭ G♭ | A♭maj7 A♭ C E♭ G | G♯m7 G♯ B D♯ F♯ | G♯dim G♯ B D |
| A | A A C♯ E | Am A C E | A7 A C♯ E G | Amaj7 A C♯ E G♯ | Am7 A C E G | Adim A C E♭ |
| B♭ | B♭ B♭ D F | B♭m B♭ D♭ F | B♭7 B♭ D F A♭ | B♭maj7 B♭ D F A | B♭m7 B♭ D♭ F A♭ | A♯dim A♯ C♯ E |
| B | B B D♯ F♯ | Bm B D F♯ | B7 B D♯ F♯ A | Bmaj7 B D♯ F♯ A♯ | Bm7 B D F♯ A | Bdim B D F |
Check yourself
1. How many half steps are in a major third?
Answer: 4. A major third is 4 half steps, and a minor third is 3. That one-step difference decides major or minor.
2. Which half step pattern builds a minor triad from the root?
Answer: 3 then 4. Minor is a minor third (3) followed by a major third (4). Major is the reverse.
3. Which right-hand fingers usually play a root position triad?
Answer: 1, 3 and 5. Thumb, middle finger and little finger spread the hand evenly across the three notes.
4. What does the symbol Cmaj7 mean?
Answer: C major triad plus a major seventh. Maj7 adds a note 11 half steps above the root to a major triad.
5. What is this chord?
Answer: C minor. The middle note is E♭ (3 half steps above C), which makes the chord minor.
Related pages
- Chord progressions: common patterns in every key
- Chord inversions: root position, first and second
- Minor chord: how to build one in any key
- Diminished chord: what it is and how to build it
- Augmented chord: what it is and how to build it
- Half steps and whole steps (semitones and tones)
- Piano keys labeled: every note on the keyboard
- Intervals in music: names, sizes and how to count them