Piano Chords
- Notes
- C – E – G
- Formula
- 135
× 3 2 0 1 08 10 10 9 8 8× 3 5 5 5 3Chord finder
Tap keys to build a chord; the name appears here.
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Pick a root on the small keyboard, then a chord type. The red keys are the notes; press Play to hear them together or one by one.
How to build a piano chord
A chord is a stack of notes counted up from a root. A major chord takes the root, the note 4 half steps above it (major 3rd) and the note 7 half steps above it (perfect 5th): C, E, G. Lower the middle note by one half step and you get a minor chord: C, E♭, G.
Seventh chords add a fourth note. C7 adds B♭ (10 half steps up); Cmaj7 adds B (11 half steps up). The formula under each chord shows the intervals, so you can build the same chord on any key.
What inversions are for
An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. C/E is C major with E in the bass. Inversions let your hand move less between chords: C to F to G is three jumps in root position, but almost none if you play F as C–F–A and G as B–D–G.
Chord finder
Know the notes but not the name? Open the chord finder, tap the keys, and it names the chord, including slash chords like C/E.
Questions
- What are the three most common piano chords?
- In pop and folk songs, the I, IV and V chords of a key: C, F and G in C major; G, C and D in G major. Most beginners learn C, G, Am and F first.
- What is the difference between major and minor chords?
- Only the middle note. The major 3rd is 4 half steps above the root, the minor 3rd is 3. On the keyboard that is one key to the left.
- What does "m7b5" mean?
- A half-diminished chord: root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th and minor 7th. Bm7b5 is B, D, F, A. It is the chord on the 7th degree of a major key.
- Why do some charts write Bb and others A#?
- They are the same key on the piano. The name depends on the key you are in; this chart spells notes so each chord uses each letter once (F♯ major is F♯ A♯ C♯, not F♯ B♭ C♯).