Understanding chords are essential to learning music theory: these triads form the basis of a composition and affect how a piece of music sounds. This article will teach you basic music theory about chords, and how to play the F minor chord on the piano. And don’t forget to try out the E minor chord and G minor chord. What Does Music in F Minor Sound Like?The key of F minor was as popular with classical composers as it is with today’s songwriters. It has a dark sense about it, without being as dour as some other minor keys. Classic compositions in the key of F minor include The Four Seasons – Winter by Vivaldi, Piano Sonata No. 1 by Beethoven, and Fantasia in F Minor by Franz Schubert [1]. To hear the key in modern songs, you could listen to Telephone by Lady Gaga, Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, or Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. How to Find the F Minor Chord from the ScaleThe scale of F minor has eight notes, including four incidentals. An incidental is a sharp or a flat, shown at the start of every music stave on sheet music. It means that each time you read a note that has an incidental, you need to step it up or down half a tone. The F minor scale has eight notes [2]: F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat, E-flat, and octave F The root chord uses a triad of the first, third, and fifth notes. That means you will play F, A-flat, and C. How to Play the F Minor Root ChordThe root chord is the basic chord in F minor. There are other chord variations, but let’s start with the simple root triad [3]. Your Finger NumbersTo learn piano it is best to imagine that your fingers on each hand are numbered. This makes it easy to learn where to put each finger to play a chord or scale. Numbers go from left-to-right in this order: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 That means on your left hand, your little finger is 5, ring finger is 4, middle finger is 3, index is 2, and your thumb is 1. On your right hand, your fingers are numbered starting from the thumb. So, your thumb is 1, index finger 2, middle finger is 3, ring finger is 4, and finally, your little finger is 5. Finger Placement: Right HandTo play the root chord with your right hand, first, locate the F key. This is the white key that sits just before the group of three black keys. Place your thumb – finger 1 – onto the F key. Next, find A-flat. Count up one white key (G), then put finger 3 onto the next black key. This key is known both as G# and A-flat. Complete the triad with finger 5. The key you need to find is C. To do this, skip the next two white keys after the A-flat and put finger 5 on the third white key along. This is the C key: you’ve now played the F minor chord! Finger Placement: Left HandTo play the root chord with your left hand, use the same keys as above but in reverse finger order. So, finger 5 is on F, finger 3 goes on A-flat, and finger 1 finishes the chord on C. How to Play F Minor InversionsA chord inversion is where the same notes of the root chord are played in a different order. This gives the chord a different feel. For example, the first inversion uses the octave F instead of the root F. This can lift the chord and make a more natural progression into higher octaves for other chords or a melody. The inversion chords are played with slightly different finger patterns to help with the different spacing between the keys. Inversion OneThe first inversion puts notes in the order of A-flat, C, and F. To play this inversion with your right hand, place finger 1 on the A key, finger 2 on C, and finish the chord with finger 5 on the next F key. To play with your left hand, start with finger 5 on the A, then finger 3 on the C, and finish with finger 1 (your thumb) on the F key. Inversion TwoThe second common chord inversion for F minor uses the order of C, F, A-flat. On the right hand, that means finger 1 starts on C. Then finger 3 goes on to F, and the ring finger (finger 4) is placed on the A-flat key. To play this inversion with your left hand, start with finger 5 on the C key. Finger 2 (index finger) is next, on the F key, and you finish with finger 1 on A-flat. What Is F Minor Chord ii?There is a second chord in F minor that doesn’t use any notes of the root triad but is still an F minor chord. This secondary chord in the scale is useful to know when you start to learn about music theory in more depth. The ii chord in a scale is used when composing music, and learning it will help you to introduce more complex practice drills as you progress. The chord ii uses the notes G, B-flat, and D-flat. To play the chord, use the same finger placement as you learned in the root chord. That’s fingers 1, 3, and 5 on the right hand, and fingers 5, 3, and 1 on the left. Start with the G key to find the root of chord ii. The B-flat key is the last black key in the group of three black keys, while the D-flat key is the first black key in the group of two. To carry on the chord, the next two fingers (3 and 5 on the right hand, 3 and 1 on the left), go on the B-flat key and the D-flat key in that order. More Chords in F MinorJust like the F Minor Chord ii, there are many more chords in the key of F minor that you can learn. F Minor SeventhThis chord has four keys: F, A-flat, C, and E-flat. You’ll need to use your ring finger on your right hand, or your index finger on your left, to play the C key. This means you can use the last finger to complete the fourth note in the chord. G Diminished and G Minor Seventh Flat FiveThe other chords in the F minor scale are derived from relative minor and major scales. This means they are like the F minor chord ii above: the notes used aren’t always in the root chord. The G diminished chord is the same as the F minor chord ii above. The G minor seventh adds an extra note, so you need to play an extra F as the fourth note at the end of the chord. A-flat Major Chords in F MinorThere are two A-flat major chords in this key. A-flat major uses A-flat, C, and E-flat. Add a fourth note of G to find the A-flat major seventh: A-flat, C, E-flat, G. B-Flat Minor ChordsFind the B-flat minor chord in this key by using the notes B-flat, D-flat, and F. You can use the minor seventh, too: add an A-flat after the F to create the four-note B-flat minor seventh. C Minor ChordsThe C minor chord in the key of F minor uses the notes C, E-flat, and G. You play these using the same finger pattern as the root chord. The second C minor chord is the diminished seventh: add a B-flat to the top end of the chord for this variation. D-Flat Major and D-flat Major SeventhA related major key, you can use the notes of D-flat, F, and A-flat to play the D-flat major chord. If you add a C note at the top of the chord, this is the D-major seventh. E-Flat Major and Dominant Seventh ChordsAnother major chord in the minor key, the E-flat major chord uses the notes E-flat, G, and B-flat. Play this chord and add a D-flat at the top of the chord to create the E-flat dominant seventh chord. Practice Tip: Play a Two-Octave ArpeggioTo practice playing the F minor chord in different ways, try playing each note in the triad individually across two octaves. This is called an arpeggio. Remember, the finger pattern is always the same across octaves. For example, on the right hand, you would play 1- F, 3- A-flat, 5- C, and repeat again for the next octave. Finish the arpeggio with a final octave F. The post An Introduction to the F Minor Chord appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/f-minor-chord/
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You can play 73 different songs by only using 4 simple chords. Piano chords are powerful tools but there’s way more than just 4 of them. In total there are over 8,000 different possible chord combinations on the piano. Many musicians reference a chart rather than trying to memorize every individual chord. Read on to find out what a piano chords chart is and how it works. Piano Chords ChartChords are a combination of 3 or more notes played at the same time. In special circumstances, the chord can consist of only 2 notes but 3 notes are more common. Depending on what key you’re in, piano notes typically go from A all the way up to G. The standard chords your left hand will play include diminished, augmented, major and minor chords.
A capitalized Roman numeral will represent the major chords. The Roman numeral tells you the chords position in relation to the scale. The minor, diminished or augmented chord numbers will appear in lower case numerals. Major and minor chords are considered to be the foundation other chords are built from. For this reason, we consider them both to be basic types of chords. Most major or basic chords are a triad that consists of 3 different notes. Your left hand is traditionally responsible for playing chords allowing your right hand to remain free for the melody. When you are playing a basic chord you need to use 3 fingers on your left hand. The three fingers you’ll use are your first, middle and pinky finger. The notes these 3 fingers play will be alternating, meaning not next to each other. Alternating notes have a specific amount of space between them. How Notes AlternateOne way to understand how notes alternate is to master the concept of steps. Every note on the piano is laid out with full steps and half steps. Look at a piano and put your finger on the key for A. Immediately to the right of A is a black key option that can either be A# or Bb. The distance from the A key up to A# (or Bb) is the one-half step. The distance from the A key to B (or Cb) is a full step. Every chord will have a different amount of steps needed to complete your triad. Certain chords are considered extended because they’ll require you to use 4 notes instead of 3. C Major Chord ChartThe key of C is always a great place to build your understanding of chords. This is because the key of C major doesn’t have any flats or sharps. Here are all of the notes included in C major:
In music, a pattern occurs when you’re naming the major chords for every major key. The repeating pattern you’ll see a lot is:
Here’s an example of what this pattern looks like in C major:
C major D minor E minor F major G major A minor and B diminished make up the basic chords for the key of C major. The numbers all indicate the position of the chord you’re playing. C is #1 because C occurs first in the C major scale. Also, C is the root note the rest of the chord is built from. Identify the RootFirst, you have to identify the root note of your chord. The root note will be a capital letter so for the key of c it would be a C. Next you’ll want to understand the letters and numbers following the chord root. Any letter or number that follows a chord root is there to tell you the chord type. Major chords don’t have any type of suffix, instead, they stand alone, just like the C chord. Whenever you see a capital letter standing by itself you’ll be playing a major triad. Remember for playing the triads you just need to use your pinky, middle and first finger (root, third, and fifth). Reading Seventh Chords on the ChartThe chords with a #7 next to them say for you to include the key 7 notes from the root. A C seven chord would end up being C E G and B-flat. You would play the traditional triad and also add the seventh note, B-flat. On the majority of piano chords chart, you’ll see a C seven written as C maj7 or C7. If you were looking at a chart and saw a number 6 you would add a 6th interval. Pretend you saw the wording “C6” can you guess what it would mean? The capital C lets you know it’s a major chord, but what does the 6 mean? The 6 is telling you to play the 6th note from the root in addition to playing a major C chord. For a C6 you would end up playing a chord that consisted of C, E, G (your triad) and you would add A (6th interval). You will also see suspension chords on your chord chart. A suspension chord replaces one tone in the chord with another different tone. C sus 4 is a type of suspension chord in the key of C major. C sus 4 means you’ll alter your triad to include the 4th tone above the root, not the third. If a chart tells you to play a C sus 4 you’ll play C, F, G, instead of C, E, G. In this example the F note (4th from the root) replaces the E tone (third from the root). Where to Continue Your Music JourneyNow you’re ready to get hands-on experience and practice reading piano chords chart. Music Advisor has quality resources to help you find answers to your musical questions. Visit our blog for more helpful tricks on how to play the piano like a pro! For even more music-related facts, check out our completely free buyer’s guide. The post An Introduction to the Piano Chords Chart appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/piano-chords-chart/ If you’ve heard Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and chances are you have, you’ve heard C Sharp Minor chords in action. Maybe, you’re not a fan of classical music and big hair? Then you can listen to Lady Gaga’s “Let’s Dance” for another tasty spoonful. From the Classical Era to electronic dance pop, C sharp minor chords have made a lasting impression on us. Keep reading to find out what the building blocks are. Notes in the Key of C Sharp MinorThere are only 12 notes. In hundreds of years of music making, every composer has used these twelve notes to create masterpieces. They are: A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# The chords of the key of C sharp (C#) minor are built on the C#minor scale. The scale follows a formula of whole-steps and half-steps. Root, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step Here’s what the notes look like: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B Chords by KeyLike the major scale, the minor scale follows a chord formula: Minor, Diminished, Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major C#minor, D#diminished, EMajor, F#minor, G#minor, A Major, B Major You will commonly see minor chords notated with a lowercase “m”, a minus sign “-“, or an abbreviation. For example C#m, C#-, C#min Major chords will usually have the standalone chord note or abbreviated “Major”. For example: E or EMaj Chords are built using intervals of the scale. These intervals explain the relationship a note has to another in the scale. TriadsTriads are the most common chords you will common across. By using the Root, the third, and the fifth notes of a scale, you can build a three-note harmony. This where the word “triad” comes from. If you whip out your trusty piano keyboard app, you can follow the C# minor scale with your finger. Starting at C# you can find your other notes on every other key. E falls on a white key, while C# and G# are black keys. Here are the chords of the C#minor scale:
This is how you’d spell it out:
7th ChordsAnother common chord you’ll find is the 7th chord. The seventh note is an interval of a third above the fifth of the scale. These notes are common in blues and jazz. Check it out:
ExtensionsCommon extensions you will come across are the 9th and the 13th. They are called extensions because they extend into the next octave of a scale. They are the same as the 2nd and 6th notes, respectively. 9th: C#m9: C#, E, G#, B, D# 13th: C#m13: C#, E, G#, B, A These notes can cause a little confusion around notation circles. This is because when you see a 13th or a 9th written, you should assume the 7th is included. Notice it is included in the chord above. But sometimes it can be written in the manner above when it is really meant as an add9 or add13. This means that it is a simple triad with the extension added to the end. Learn the ChordsBeethoven kept playing beyond the c sharp minor even as he slowly went deaf. The muscle memory he built up over his years of playing allowed him to keep playing the right notes. So if you get discouraged on your musical journey, remember that it can’t get any harder than being a deaf musician. Check out our guides for the tools to become your best musical self. The post An Introduction to Chords in the Key of C Sharp Minor appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/c-sharp-minor-chords-2/ Have you ever jammed out to Kanye West’s “Stronger?” What about “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder or “All Star” by Smashmouth? Congratulations, you have great taste in songs in the key of F sharp major [1]! One of the many fun things you can do with F sharp major is creating chords. Here, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the F sharp major chord, from what it is to how to create the chord and a few fun things you can do with it. What is the F Sharp Major Chord?Before we dive into the fun stuff, though, we first need to talk about what the F sharp major chord actually is. In the simplest terms, the F sharp major chord is a chord derived from the F sharp major scale. If you’re new to the concept of piano chords, a chord is a group of three or four notes played simultaneously. There are also five, six, or even seven-note chords, but these are less common and notes are often skipped. Chords are derived from the notes of the scale they’re named for, which is why knowing the F sharp major scale is helpful in learning the F sharp major chord. The F Sharp Major Scale, Chords, and NotesMajor and minor scales like F sharp major are the foundation for most chords [2]. How does that work, you ask? It’s actually quite simple: chords are constructed using the notes of the scale, and can only contain the notes of the scale for which they are named. So, if we know the notes of the F sharp major scale, figuring out the notes of the chord is pretty easy. The notes of the scale are:
Each of these notes acts as a root note for the chord, or the fundamental note upon which the intervals of the chord are built [3]. Triad and Four-Note ChordsChords in any major key follow a specific pattern of progression: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. If you have no idea what that means, it refers to the four types of piano chords [4]:
So, in the key of F sharp, your chords are as follows:
In this notation, roman numerals are capitalized for major chords and lowercase for minor and diminished. The # represents a sharp. As we noted earlier, most chords you’ll commonly encounter are either triad chords or four-note chords, which are both listed above. So, the notes of your F sharp major triad chords are:
And the notes of your F sharp major four-note chords are:
If you look back at the notes of the scale, you’ll notice that the chords only contain the notes of the scale, which makes them much easier to memorize. FingeringsSo, how do you play one of the F sharp major chords? First, hold your hands out in front of you. Your fingers are numbered, with the thumbs as one, middle fingers as three, and the pinky fingers as five. Let’s say you wanted to play the first major triad chord (F#, A#, C#) with your right hand. Lay your hand in a pattern of 1-3-5, with your thumb on F#, your middle finger on A# and your pinky finger on C#, and play all three notes simultaneously. Congratulations, you just played the chord! To do it with your left hand, the pattern is flipped as 5-3-1, with your pinky on F#, your middle finger on A#, and your thumb on C#. Chord ProgressionsYou know the basics of the chords, which means we now have space to talk about fun things you can do with F sharp major. The good news for you is that the chords are made up of notes which always sound good when played together, making them a handy tool when you’re toying with music. One of the fun things you can do with chords is chord progressions, which are a series of chords put together in a pattern to create a certain sound [5]. You can put them in any order you like, as the notes will still sound good together, they’ll just create a different type of sound. Here are a few common chord progressions for F sharp major, noted using Roman numerals:
So, if you wanted to play the first chord progression (I – IV – V) the notes would be:
Play the chords by playing notes simultaneously before moving on to the next chord. InversionsOne last fun thing you can do with chords are chord inversions, which basically means taking the notes of a chord and shifting the order [6]. Let’s take the first triad chord of F sharp major (F#, A#, C#). Since there are three notes in the chord, there are two inversions:
If it sounds confusing, it’s not. Place your hand in the root position (thumb on F#, middle finger on A#, and pinky finger on C#). To form the first inversion, simply shift your hand to the right or left so your thumb rests on A#, etc. This will change the tone of the chord and gives you even more room to play with the same set of notes. Playing All 88 KeysThink you’re ready to conquer the F sharp major chord? If you need a little help, no worries. There’s a great big world out there in those 88 little keys, and we’re here to help you figure it out. Check out our site for more posts like this one to help you learn the ins and outs of this amazing instrument, whatever your learning goals may be. The post An Introduction to the F Sharp Major Chord appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/f-sharp-major-chord/ If you want to play Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles, you’re going to need to know the e minor chord. If you want to master the e minor chord, you’re going to need to know all about it. What notes make up the e minor chord? Where can you find it on the keyboard of a piano? When would you use it? In this post, we’re going to answer all of those questions and more. To learn also the D minor chord and F minor chord take a peek on our blog. The E Minor ScaleEvery scale has 7 different pitches and the e minor scale is no different. For the e minor natural scale, these pitches are E, F#, G, A, B, C, and D. If you know anything about minor scales, you know that there are actually three types [1]. The natural, the harmonic, and the melodic. These scales change the feel of the music by raising (or lowering) pitches at the end of the scale by half a step. You don’t have to worry about these changing pitches when you’re working on the e minor chord. They apply to the 6th and 7th notes, depending on the variant scale you’re using, and don’t affect the e minor chord. Here’s why. The E Minor ChordThe e minor chord is made up of a triad. What is a triad? That’s a fancy name for 3 pitches or a chord. But which notes do you use? To create the chord, you’ll use the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes. In this case, that would be E, G, and B. The E Minor SeventhTo add a different effect, you can build on the basic e minor chord and create an e minor seventh chord. You can do this simply by adding the 7th note in the scale to the chord. In this case, that would be D. Thus, the notes for the e minor seventh chord are E, G, B, and D. Where to Find It on the KeyboardYou’re probably already familiar with the keys on the keyboard. C is the leftmost key in the grouping of three white keys. From there, the white keys advance in alphabetical order to the right until you get to C again. The black keys provide sharps and flats. But since the e minor chord doesn’t have any, you won’t have to worry about those. You’ll find E two white keys to the right of C. Move over two more and there’s G. To complete the chord with B, just move over two more from G. If you want to create the seventh chord, you simply have to add D. You’ll find it two white keys to the right of B. That wasn’t too complicated, was it? InversionsThe e minor chord makes a lovely sound. But if you always play it the same way it can get a little boring. That’s why composers use inversions to change things up a bit. An inversion involves playing the same notes, but mixing up the order. Thus, it is still the same chord but sounds slightly different. For example, instead of starting on E, try starting on G. Play G, B, E and you’ll notice that the sound has a slightly more open quality to it. This is 1st inversion. To play 2nd inversion, you simply start on B and play B, E, G. Try playing around with the inversions and listen to the difference they make. You can further spice it up by using both hands and adding octaves and fourths. For example, try playing a 1st inversion e minor chord in the right accompanied by an octave on E in the left. Or do a 2nd inversion in the left and play just B and E in the right. Feel free to experiment and see what sounds you like best! Chord ProgressionsYou don’t want to be stuck on the same chord all the time so it’s good to learn the common chord progressions. The e minor natural scale chords are as follows:
Just as the e minor chord has a seventh version where you add the seventh note on the top, each of these does as well. The seventh chords are:
Thus, to play common chord progressions you can play these:
Have fun playing around with different progressions and listening to how they sound! When to Use E MinorNow you know how to form an e minor chord and where to find it on the keyboard. How do you know when to use it? The most obvious way is when your sheet music tells you to. But why did the composer choose to use e minor chords and the e minor key? Because of how it sounds and the emotion the composer is trying to convey. Minor keys tend to sound a little sad, melancholic, full of longing, or outright depressing. E minor is sad, without being overwhelming [2]. Composers use it when they want to convey innocent naivety or a bit of lament. This key isn’t as dark or depressing as some minor keys, but rather expresses a touch of sadness with a hint of hope. The corresponding Major key to e minor is C, which is the key associated with pure happiness and innocence. Thus, e minor carries with it the sense of tears that will soon be wiped away. Major Works in E MinorYou’re probably wondering now what songs you know that are written in the key of e minor and use e minor chords. Hearing the description in words is beautiful, so what does the music sound like? Chances are, you’ve heard it and don’t even know it. There are several classic Christmas carols that come in the key of e minor.
Other classical works include:
As you can see, big name composers have used the e minor key and chord. And this is only a sampling of what is available. We encourage you to check out and enjoy more music that has been written in this beautiful key. And then, sit down and start playing it. Practicing the E Minor ChordNow that you know all about the e minor chord it’s time to start using it. This chord is the building block for some hauntingly sweet, beautiful songs. Learning to use this chord on your chosen instrument will open up a whole new musical world for you. Start with some classics that use the e minor chord to help develop your ear and train your fingers. In no time, you can start creating your own beautiful melodies that use this chord as a base. The post What to Know About the E Minor Chord appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/e-minor-chord/ Where does the music teacher keep her keys? In the piano of course! A full-size piano is made up of 52 white keys and 36 black keys [1]. Luckily for you, the same note names will continue to repeat themselves over and over. A chart of all the keys is a powerful learning tool that can help you understand the theory behind the note names. Here we will cover what a piano keys chart is and how to read one. Piano Keys ChartFirst, you have to understand that a piano keys chart is a visual learning tool. For the purpose of learning the word, “keys” is strictly referring to the physical keys on a piano. Heres the piano keyboard layout for you to learn. There are customized charts may start on another note to help you learn a new scale. In this article, we will use a standard chart that uses middle C as our starting point. When you look at a standard chart you’ll see 7 white keys.
You will also find 5 black keys, each one representing 2 possible names.
Remember that the same notes repeat themselves on any size piano or keyboard. CDEFGAB repeats itself 7 times and that’s why a piano has 7 different octaves. It’ll help you learn if you sit in front of a real piano or keyboard when looking at the piano key chart. Locate middle C and rest your right-hand thumb on top of it. Next, look at the C key (first note) on your chart. Once you’re comfortable with finding middle C on the piano and then on the chart, do the next key. Continue to touch each physical key and then look at the key name on the chart. Not only will you learn the key names, but you’ll also get to practice what it’s like to read music while playing. Half Step or SemitoneNow we’ll explain the theory behind the names of the keys you just played. You start with C and moving up to the black key play a C# (or Db). The distance between these 2 notes is called a semitone. Other names for this distance are half-tone or the more popular term half-step. A semitone is the smallest interval you could possibly use in western classical music [2]. These half steps are used to create sharps and flats. Practice teaching yourself half steps by going through the entire chart in half-step intervals. You don’t need to memorize anything, the practice alone will build the foundation you need. After you feel comfortable with half steps you can teach yourself whole steps. Say each note out loud as you play it on the piano and look at it on the chart. C (play), C#(play), D (play) and continue on until you’ve completed the entire chart. This exercise helps you train your ear to hear the small semitone intervals. A whole step from C (two half steps combined) is D. Do the same exercise for the whole steps as you did with the half steps. Once you feel you’ve mastered the two steps separately, mix things up. Give yourself a pop quiz, play a whole step from an A# or a half step backward from a Bb. Integrating the different concepts will help you gain a better grasp on the music theory. Sharps and FlatsNow you can begin to understand why certain keys have a # or b next to them. These symbols indicate whether a note is sharp or flat. Sharps and flats are created when you move one-half step (semitone) up from another note. A sharp is indicated by the # sign and means to go one-half step up. A flat is notated with the b sign and means to go one-half step-down. That’s why one half step up from a D is a D# but one-half step down is a Db. Look at the chart and find all of the sharps and flats. You’ll notice that the black keys are all sharps and flats. However, not all of the sharps and flats are black keys. A complete standard piano keys chart will show some of the white keys with 2 possible note names. Earlier we listed the white keys as C, D, E, F, G, A, and B, but now we can go a little deeper. The entire possible names for the white keys are:
D, G, and A only have one name because of their position on the piano. Before we continue you’ll want to know that the keys of the piano aren’t the note. In other words, it can be very confusing if you are always thinking of C as 2 things (C or B#). Instead, try to remember the theory behind how the notes are found. Remember that a half step means you’ll add a sharp and a half step down means you add a flat. This method works better as you progress and start to practice playing in different keys. Reading Musical NotesFinally, you can combine your new knowledge with reading music. Find a basic C major scale notated on sheet music. You already know all of the notes, moving up from C they are: C, D#, D, D#,E,F,G,G#,A. Start with middle C, place your thumb on middle C and look at the sheet music. The note hanging below the lines with a line through it is middle C. The next note will probably be a whole step up (D). How can you tell if it’s a whole step up? Remember if it’s a half step there will be a # or b next to it. If the note tells you to play a D#, locate D and go one-half step up. Always Continue to LearnYou did it! You’re well on your way to reading a piano keys chart in your sleep. Music Advisor is happy to help you with all of your music needs. Please visit our blog for more articles about everything music related. Or take a moment to check out our buyer’s guide, it’s free. The post What You Need to Know About the Piano Keys Chart appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/piano-keys-chart/ You may think that learning about minor scales is a difficult task. After all, they consist of keys that are rarely used, right? First off, musicians use minor keys quite a bit in intermediate and advanced works of music. Secondly, they aren’t challenging at all for any beginner to learn and understand. Before you actually get into learning the scales on your instrument, you need to know more about what they are. Today, we’re going to learn more about a rather popular scale, the B flat minor. The B flat minor scale is an impressive scale to learn, and when you understand how it works, you’ll certainly be using it for many of your future music selections. Keep reading to learn more. B Flat Minor: the BasicsThe first thing you should know is, like other scales, you can play the B flat minor scale (also written as “Bb minor scale”) on both the treble and the bass. Like every natural flat note, the B flat minor scale can also go by another name: the A sharp (A#). The reason why one would use the terms Bb and A# interchangeably would be for two reasons. The first would be to better fit the all the notes used in the composition. The second would be in the case that an accidental (a note used outside of the stated key or keys) is used within the piece. Minor scales are known for their use in darker or edgier music, and the B flat minor scale is no exception. But, there are three different scales to play the Bb chord on – the natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales. Each scale is a slight alteration of the B flat scale. The natural scale is the most common of the three and is used in many musical performances. This is the same scale that follows the A# natural minor scale mentioned earlier in this article. On the piano, the notes would be as follows: Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb. The next scale, the B flat harmonic minor scale, is a very slight change to the natural minor scale. With the harmonic scale, you simply raise the seventh key by a half step. On the piano, it will look like: Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, A, Bb. The final scale is Bb melodic minor scale. The melodic minor scale may be a bit tricky to learn at first due to the placement of the keys. That’s because instead of simply moving the seventh note by a half step, you must move both the sixth and seventh notes by a half step. With this in mind, the chord should look like: Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, A, Bb. The harmonic and melodic minor scales are not as common as the natural minor scale; but, they are present in many higher level works. Now that you know the basics of the Bb minor scale, as well as the notes with which to play it, you are well on your way to playing it yourself. Happy learning! The post An Introduction to the B Flat Minor Scale appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/b-flat-minor-scale/ How do you climb to the top of a super tall piano? You scale it! A piano scale is a lot like a set of directions telling you how to find a location. Scales are collections of notes that are grouped together through music theory. When you learn a scale you build a foundation for how to navigate the piano. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the chromatic scale piano and how to play it. What Is a Chromatic Scale Piano?You’ll be happy to know chromatic musical scales are considered to be the easiest to master. Chromaticism refers to the distance you are moving from key to key. Instead of whole steps, you are talking half steps, the distance of a semitone. Normally a song will only have parts of chromaticism to give the music a particular feel. Popular songs like, “Flight of the Bumblebee” or Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” use a chromatic approach. The notes slowly creep up as you play every key without skipping any. As you listen to a chromatic piece of a song, every passing note is like a small step up a musical flight of stairs. What’s an Octave?Every scale is a set of musical notes arranged in ascending or descending order. The majority of classical western music has scales built around octaves. Octaves are 8 different notes like, “Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do”. You can start an octave on any note of the piano. Whatever note you start on creates the name of the scale. If you place your finger on an A and play 8 complete notes to reach the next A, you’ve played an A scale. Now in music theory, different scales will have different sharps and flats. A chromatic scale is unique because it incorporates every single note, even the half steps. You will have the “Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do” and every interval in between. Why Use a Chromatic Scale?Atonal music is created when you use a chromatic scale. Meaning listeners will notice the tones aren’t musically perfect or harmonious. The strange tonality of chromaticism is most appealing in fast parts of the song. Other than creating unique sounds, the chromatic scale will help you practice your technique. When you play the piano you move a lot of body parts. Playing the piano is a real workout because you move your:
Building up your finger muscles will help you more smoothly and elegantly. The weird finger placement used in a chromatic scale goes great with a fast tempo. You’ll be strengthening your muscles while also teaching yourself music theory. How to PracticeThe twelve tones in the C chromatic scale piano are:
To practice place your finger on middle c on the piano. Move up in half-step intervals until you’ve gone reached B. Say the names of the notes out loud while you play them on the piano. You just played the entire C chromatic scale, good job! When you can play the scale smoothly forward, try to play it backward. Continue to verbalize each note name when you play it on your piano or keyboard. Once you’re really comfortable with C you can move to any other white key. Try starting on A and name every key until you’ve reached G #. Now you’ve learned 2 different chromatic scales. Finger NumbersNext, you’ll want to start to only practice using the correct fingering. But before you can you have to know your finger numbers. When you play the piano each of your fingers has a specific number. Every finger is either a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. On your left hand the finger numbers are:
On your right hand, the finger numbers are the same. While it may sound easy it’s easy to get finger numbers all mixed up. You can avoid confusion with a little bit of practice. Take a few minutes to move each finger on your left hand individually. While you move each finger say the correct finger number allowed. Next, do the same thing with your right hand and go backward and forwards. Combine both hands counting each finger out loud forward and backward. It should sound like, ” LH 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 RH 1, 2, 3, 4, 5″ and then do it in reverse. Learn the Finger PlacementsMemorizing how to play any chromatic scale is easy when you understand the theory. You just keep playing every note sequentially until you’ve completed the octave. However, the fingering can be a little bit more tricky. Here are 3 different tips for understanding where you’re fingers should be. Tip #1Only play black notes with the #3 finger Tip #2Use your thumb on every other white note Tip #3Only use your 2nd finger if there are two white keys right next to each other. Practice Finger PlacementIf you’re right-handed first practice with your right hand. First locating the middle c and then place your # 1 finger on it. Now you can begin to practice your finger placement on the C chromatic scale. You already know the next note will be the closest one up from C. Follow the three tips to determine what finger will play the very next note (C#). For the C chromatic scale, you will use the right-hand fingering of 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2. You can fluently move up the keys if you tuck your thumb (#1) under your 3rd finger. You will enjoy the sound you make as you quickly climb up and down the scale. Discover More Practice TechniquesNow you know the ins and outs of playing a chromatic scale piano. Check out our blog with music related articles or take a minute to look over our buyer’s guide. Use our site as your #1 resource to answer all of your musical questions. The post An Introduction to the Chromatic Scale Piano appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/chromatic-scale-piano/ The ability to sit down and play any piece of music requires a strong foundation. That’s why musicians practice their scales and the chords that go with them. The g minor scale and the chords based on it are part of that foundation. Once you’ve mastered the g minor chord in all its inversions, you’re on your way to being able to play any music in that key! Are you working on g minor chords now? Are you trying to learn to play the g minor chord? If so, we can help. Below you’ll find the complete guide giving you everything you need to know about the g minor chord. Let’s go! Music in the Key of G MinorMany famous composers wrote music in this key. That means they based their music on the notes of the g minor scale, with G as the root note, or tonic. Like other minor keys, g minor was often used to express tragedy or sadness. At the very least, it brought a dark color to the music. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor has this brooding feeling, as does Bach’s Great Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542. Many contemporary songs also make use of this key. Jennifer Lopez’s Ain’t It Funny and DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love by Usher and Pitbull are both in the key of g minor. Listening to music in this key can help your ear recognize its melancholy sound. Then you’ll have an easier time learning your g minor chords. In the next section, let’s look at the g minor chord and the scale upon which it’s based. Read on for more information. The G Minor Tonic ChordTo understand the g minor chord, we first need to know the notes of the g minor scale. Let’s go over them in the next section. The G Minor Natural ScaleThe notes in a g minor chord come right out of this scale. The pitches are: G-A-B-flat-C-D-E-flat-F-G Notes in scales are given numbers, called scale degrees. In this case, G is 1, and the numbers go up from there: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-1 We return to 1 again on G. Notice, then, that G is the 1st scale degree whether it’s the first or last note of the scale. In addition to scale degrees, each pitch also has a special name. We’ve seen already that G is the home or root pitch. Because of this, it’s called the tonic, and any chord built on G is also called a tonic chord. The other important pitch is the 5th scale degree, or D. D is the dominant of G, and any chord built on it is called a dominant chord. Those are the two most important chords, although you can build a chord using any scale degree as its root. In the next section, let’s build a g minor tonic chord together. The G Minor Tonic ChordWhen a chord has only three pitches, it’s called a triad. The g minor tonic triad looks like this: G-B-flat-D It’s labeled with a lowercase Roman numeral i. That’s because it’s the first scale degree of the scale (the tonic), and it’s also a minor chord. Composers and songwriters don’t always write the g minor chord in root position, though. It’s possible to move the pitches around to create inversions. A g minor triad in first inversion has B-flat in the base: B-flat-D-G It’s labeled as i6. The subscript 6 lets you know the triad has been inverted. Second inversion has D in the base: D-G-B-flat It’s labeled as i6/4. If you flip the chord around one more time, you end up back in root position: G-B-flat-D That’s the tonic triad and its inversions. Now let’s build chords using the other scale degrees as their roots. Chords Built on the Remaining Scale Degrees in G MinorAbove we built a tonic triad in g minor. We can build a triad using any scale degree as the base note of the chord. In addition, not all chords are limited to three pitches. Indeed, they often have many more! In the next section, let’s look first at the triads in g minor. Then we’ll go over the four-note chords. Triads in G MinorThe tonic triad in g minor is a minor chord. Chords built on the other scale degrees will have different aural properties. In fact, any minor scale, including g minor, will have the following types of chords: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, and major: 1. G minor, i, G-B-flat-D 2. A diminished, ii0, A-C-E-flat 3. B-flat major, III, B-flat, D-F 4. C minor, iv, C-E-G 5. D minor, v, D-F-A (Note, however, that composers will often raise F by a half step to F-sharp, creating a major chord. They can do this because F-sharp is a pitch in the other two versions of the g minor scale. The half step between F-sharp and G provides a more satisfying resolution than the whole step F to G.) 6. E-flat major, VI, E-flat-G-B-flat 7. F major, VII, F-A-C 1. G minor, i, G-B-flat-D Four-Note Chords in G MinorAnd, now the four-note chords: 1. G minor seventh, i7, G-B-flat, D, F 2. A minor seventh flat five (also known as a half-diminished chord), ii0, A-C-E-flat-G 3. B-flat major seventh, III7, B-flat-D-F-A 4. C minor seventh, iv7, C-E-flat-G-B-flat 5. D minor seventh, v7, D-F-A-C (Again, see the note above about raising the F to F-sharp). 6. E-flat major seventh, VI7, E-flat-G-B-flat-D 7. F dominant seventh, VII7, F-A-C-E-flat 1. G minor seventh, i7, G-B-flat-D-F Inversions of the G Minor ChordsAbove, we went over how to invert the tonic triad in g minor. Inversions of the other triads follow the same pattern. For example, take the triad built on B-flat. It’s the III chord of the scale. In root position, it looks like: B-flat-D-F In first inversion, we move the D to the base (III6): D-F-B-flat And, for second inversion, the F is now in the base (III6/4): F, B-flat-D The four-note chords work the same way. Again, let’s take the III7 chord. Root position is as follows: B-flat-D-F-A Because there are four pitches, we can do three inversions of this chord. This is first inversion: D-F-A-B-flat (III6/5) Second inversion: F-A-B-flat, D (III4/3) Third inversion: A-B-flat-D-F (III4/2) The other chords will follow the same pattern. Fingerings for the G Minor ChordsOften, chords will occur in a specific musical context. The movement from one chord to the next will help you determine what fingering you’ll use. In general, though, a root position triad can be performed in your right hand this way: your thumb plays the root note, your middle finger plays the second pitch, and your pinky plays the top note. The left hand is the opposite of the right. Your pinky plays the bottom note, the middle finger plays the middle note, and your thumb plays the top note: Right-hand: 1-3-5 Left-hand: 5-3-1 For inversions, look at the chord from left to right. In first inversion, some of the pitches are closer together now. In the right hand, you can use: 1-2-5 But the left hand is still 5-3-1 For second inversion, you can go back to 1-3-5 in the right hand and 5-3-1 in the left. With a little practice, you’ll be playing the chords in g minor in no time! Wrapping Up on the G Minor ChordNow, you’re on your way to playing the g minor chord and the other chords in that key. If you need more help, no worries! Check out some of our other guides about keyboard technique and theory. We can also help you find the right keyboard for you! The post What to Know About the G Minor Chord appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/g-minor-chord/ A true understanding of music can take years. And plenty of people manage to know just enough to get by in musical environments. Perhaps they sight read well, or have coveted perfect pitch. Either way, they’ve managed to get by with only a basic knowledge of musical concepts. But if you want to take your understanding deeper, you have to have a working knowledge of music theory. And the perfect starting point? The Grand Staff. If you are already intimidated, don’t be. It’s a very fancy sounding name for a pretty basic concept. When you picture sheet music in your head, you are probably seeing the Grand Staff. It’s two staves connected by an invisible line, one directly above the other. Let’s take a look at the grand staff and how we use it in musical notation. Grand Staff NotationFirst, let’s make sure we’re clear on what we mean when we talk about the grand staff. The staff is made of two staves. Stave here is just the plural of staff. In music, the staff is made of five horizontal lines used to notate music. The lines and spaces determine the musical pitch. Together, the two staves create the grand staff. The top staff here is the treble clef and is used for most musical instruments, as well as soprano and alto voices. The bottom is the bass clef and is used for voices and instruments in lower tessituras. These aren’t the only clefs that are usable on the grand staff, but they are the most common. Technically there are nine distinct clefs possible in musical notation, with four being used regularly in modern music. These nine clefs are the French Violin, Treble, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, and Subbass. The four most common are the Treble, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, with the Treble and Bass being the two most widely used. Let’s take a look at grand staff notation in middle C. In middle C, the C note falls directly between the two staves, and forms the foundation for the rest of the scale, both above and below. Treble ClefThe treble clef is the better known of the two staves on the grand staff. It’s the one taught to school children and to beginning piano players. It is used for the violin, flute, oboe, bagpipe, cor anglais, all clarinets, all saxophones, horn, trumpet, cornet, vibraphone, xylophone, mandolin, and recorder. Soprano, Alto, and Tenor voices also use this clef, making it the most commonly used clef on the grand staff. The notes on any stave can be separated into two groups: lines and spaces. In middle C, the lines on the treble clef correspond to the notes E, G, B, D, and F. Most music students remember this with the acrostic “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” The spaces correspond to F, A, C, and E. This, as you can see, spells the word Face, which is a useful mnemonic in music theory. Bass ClefThe bass clef is less common and is used for instruments like the cello, euphonium, double bass, bass guitar, bassoon, contrabassoon, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, and timpani. It is also the clef used by bass and baritone singers, as well as the lower notes of some horns. The bass clef is a little more difficult. This isn’t inherent, but simply because most musicians grow up learning on the treble clef, but don’t add in bass until later. On the bass clef, the notes on the lines are G, B, D, F, and A. This is usually remembered with the acrostic “Good Boys Do Fine Always”. It’s similar to the treble clef mnemonic on purpose, to try and create a mental link between the two and make them easier to remember in conjunction. The space notes on the bass clef are A, C, E, and G. The mnemonic here is “All Cows Eat Grass.” No handy mental link to FACE on this one, unfortunately. What About the Middle C?If you’re paying attention, you may have noticed that a note is missing in both the treble and bass clefs. They both include a C, but the third C, the middle C, is missing. It’s the note the entire scale is named for, so were is it? In fact, the middle C falls right where its name implies, directly in the middle of the two staves. It is technically a line note, falling on the invisible line that separates the top and bottom staves. There are two other “invisible notes” in middle C, which aren’t included in the mnemonics. The first is the B just below middle C, which appears in the space just above the bottom stave. The second, of course, is the D above middle C, which is in the space just below the top stave. Challenges of the Grand StaffThe major challenge of the grand staff is that the two basic clefs are not identical. It seems like it would make much more sense for them to represent two identical octaves in the same key rather than be placed somewhat arbitrarily. But, as with many things in music, the rules were set centuries ago. Music is an art form steeped in tradition, and you would be hard-pressed to change it now. This can make learning the grand staff a huge challenge, especially for those who learned only the treble clef as children and are not attempting to internalize the bass clef. If you add in the alto and tenor clefs, the whole thing gets even more confusing. The key to learning to grand staff, like with all things in music, is simply practice. With repetition, the notes will seem to fall into place more easily, just in time for you to add in the other scales and key signatures. Wrapping UpIf you only plan to ever use one clef or the other, you can certainly get by in music without more than a passing knowledge of the grand staff. But for a deeper understanding, this knowledge is truly fundamental. To deepen your musical understanding, even more, take a look at our music theory category. The post An Introduction to the Grand Staff appeared first on Music Advisor. from https://musicadvisor.com/grand-staff/ |
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