|
|
|
|
As you probably know, there are thousands and thousands of different chords in music - everything from basic major chords to minor 7ths to 13ths to suspensions to poly-chords. Someday, you might want to learn all those chords if you don't already know them.
But meanwhile, there are 3 chords -- just 3 -- that you absolutely, positively have to know. If you don't know these three, there's hardly a song in the whole world that you could play. But by knowing just 3 chords, you can play hundreds, if not thousands of songs!
Really?
Really.
Are you ready? Here they are:
I IV V
Huh? What's all that about?
Here's what:
In every key there are 3 chords -- just 3 chords -- which are known as "primary chords" -- chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key. They are groups of notes built on the 1st note of the scale, the 4th note of that scale, and the 5th note of that scale. (Those are 3-note chords called "triads" -- in another article we will get into 4 and 5 note chords.)
For example, here is the C scale on the keyboard. It runs from C up to C and octave higher. The I chord is built on the first note of the C scale, and so on:
So if I build a chord on the "I" -- every other scale note up from C, the chord is C, E, and G -- known as the "C major chord".
If I build a chord on the "IV" -- every other scale note up from F, the chord is F, A, and C -- known as the "F major chord".
If I build a chord on the "V" -- every other scale note up from G, the chord is G, B, and D -- known as the "G major chord".
Please notice, if you haven't already, that those 3 chords contain ALL the notes in the C scale!
So what?
So any melody - tune - in the key of C (as long as it just uses the 8 notes of the scale) can be harmonized just by playing one of those 3 chords!
Think about that -- that's a HUGE insight that most people never get.
So, in any given key you can play in, there are PRIMARY CHORDS -- chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key.
At your house, let's say you have 3 people in your family -- your spouse, your child, and you. On the same block, but down the street a few houses, lives your cousin and her family.
At any given moment, who are the most likely people to be in your house?
The Terminator?
Hillary?
Dubba?
I don't think so.
It's possible, of course, but not too likely. If I had to guess, I would say it would be either you, your spouse, or your child. It might be your cousin down the street -- there's a much better chance of that than, say, David Letterman or Prince Charles -- but my best odds would be to guess that the family members would be there.
It's the same way with chords. In any given key, there are 3 "family members" that are residents of that key -- the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord. They are far and away the most likely chords to occur in any given key.
For example, if I am playing in the Key of C, and the first chord is the C chord and I have to guess what the next chord is, I would guess that it would be either the F chord or the G chord. Why? Because those are the other "family members". So we have narrowed the odds a great deal just by knowing who the members of the family are.
Does that mean that there are always just 3 chords in a song? No, but there are literally hundreds of songs that are made of just 3 chords.
The Primary Piano Chords ("the fam") Of All the Major Keys
Here are the primary chords (the family chords) of all the major keys (remember that the primary chords are the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord based on the scale of that particular key):
Key of C: C, F, G
Key of G: G, C, D
Key of D: D, G, A
Key of A: A, D, E
Key of E: E, A, B
Key of B: B, E, F#
Key of F: F, Bb, C
Key of Bb: Bb, Eb, F
Key of Eb: Eb, Ab, Bb
Key of Ab: Ab, Db, Eb
Key of Db: Db, Gb, Ab
Key of Gb: Gb, Cb, Db
Do you have to know all these chords in all these keys?
No.
You can choose to play in just one key, or just a few keys.
But what you MUST know is the 3 chords in whatever key you want to play in! That means that the stark beginner can learn 3 chords in just a few minutes, and be able to play along with thousands of tunes, because most folk songs, hymns, country songs, and many rock songs just use the 3 basic chords. That's why people who know zilch about music can pick up a guitar, learn 3 chords, and strum along while singing everything from "On Top Of Old Smoky" to "Amazing Grace" to "My Country 'Tis Of Thee" to "Auld Lang Syne" to "Silent Night" to..........................well, you get the idea. And not only a guitar, but a piano, keyboard, or whatever.
Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon.
He can be reached at http://www.chordpiano.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 56,000 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com
 Washington Post | Grammy nominations a snooze San Francisco Chronicle, USA - So-called illegal downloads may no longer be the gravest danger faced by the imperiled recording industry: Just plain bad music may be what ultimately does ... The LA Times music blog Grammy nominations hit prime-time with TV special Grammy organizers are clueless |
 guardian.co.uk | Classical music hits YouTube smudailycampus.com, TX - Dun, best known for his Grammy Award winning scores for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and more recently the official music for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, ... Introducing YouTube's orchestra... YouTube orchestrates cyber symphony with Carnegie Hall aspirations paidContent.org - Broadband Content Bits: YouTube Goes Classical ... |
Classical Music/Opera Listings New York Times, United States - The program also takes advantage of Mr. Levine’s passion for playing piano chamber music: it begins with Mr. Levine and Mr. Barenboim playing Schubert’s F ... |
Shazam adds 2 million tracks to music library CNET News, CA - Mobile-music discovery provider Shazam announced on Thursday that it has increased its music database from 6 million tracks to 8 million tracks, ... Shazam: eight million songs of the eternal Now Shazam Amplifies Music Database by a Third Adding Another 2 Million Songs, Shazam Grows Database by 30% |
 New York Times | ‘Tis the Music for Being Cautiously Optimistic New York Times, United States - Consciously or not, much of this year’s new holiday music expresses some anxiety about whether the old modes of merriment still matter. ... Tune to sounds of the season Connick, Crow highlight new holiday releases |
 Rediff | My music life PSU The Clock, NH - A documentary educates the viewer, "Britney: For the Record" is more like a "reality" show to help a struggling music artist make a comeback. ... Exclusive: ET's Extended Preview of Britney Spears' Music Video ... The Shuffle: Baby, one more time? A generation says goodbye |
 New York Daily News | Folk music, civil rights legend Odetta dies at 77 The Associated Press - First coming to prominence in the 1950s, she influenced Harry Belafonte, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and other superstars of the folk music boom. ... Odetta Holmes dies at 77; folk singer championed black history ... Inspirational Folk Music Legend Odetta Dies at 77 Odetta left message of hope |
 BBC News | The LA Times music blog Los Angeles Times, CA - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss didn't just make extraordinary music when they teamed for their "Raising Sand" album. They also gave Grammy voters everything ... Farber: Music sales won this year's Grammy nominations NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Grammy Nominations Acknowledge Country Music ... Blog: Music Beat |
 AFP | Plans for Salzburg Sound of Music hotel hit sour note AFP - VIENNA (AFP) — The former home of the Trapp family, made famous by the 1965 film "The Sound of Music," will not re-open as a hotel after all following ... Austria's Salzburg resists "Sound of Music" hotel London's Sound of Music to Close in February 2009 Plan for 'Sound of Music' hotel blocked in Austria |
 MTV UK | Music revs up this 'Cadillac' USA Today - By Eric Liebowitz, Sony TriStar Pictures, via AP By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY Though the music in Cadillac Records hums along powerfully, the film could use a ... 'Cadillac Records—: Good music, shaky history In 'Cadillac Records,' the music's electrifying but the details ... 'Cadillac Records:' Watch it for the music -- and then the stars ... |
| Top of Page home Bookmark Us Now ctrl+d 1st 4 Music, shopping via 1st4music cost no more than going direct and can often save you money with special offers. with questions or comments about this website |