10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play 'Chord' Piano

Reprinted Articles

10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play 'Chord' Piano
by Duane Shinn

There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn enough chords to be able to "chord a song" at the piano. By "chord a song", I mean the ability to play 3 or 4 chords on the piano in some sort of rhythm while you or someone else sings the tune. To do this, you don't need to be a Van Cliburn; all you need to do is learn a few basic chords and be able to more back and forth between them in some organized rhythmic pattern. For example, did you realize that all of these songs (and hundreds more) can be sung or played with just 3 chords? Auld Lang Syne Amazing Grace Kum Ba Ya Silent Night Joy To The World Jingle Bells Happy Birthday Down In The Valley On Top Of Old Smoky... and hundreds or maybe thousands more! Add just one more chord to the basic 3, and you can play another thousand songs or so. So why not learn a few chords and start your chording career? Here are my top 10 reasons for learning "chord piano": 1) It's easy. Learn 3 chords and start in. 2) Even though it's easy to get started, you don't have to stop there. You can learn more and more chords and more rhythm patterns and get really good. 3) You'll be able to play "Happy Birthday" while the gang sings it. 4) You'll be able to play half-a-dozen Christmas carols. In case you haven't noticed, Christmas comes every year, so every year you'll get better as you participate in family gatherings. 5) You can help your kids learn to play the piano, guitar, or most any other instrument by learning chords. Most teachers don't teach chords, so you'll be giving your kids an advantage by learning chords. 6) People will admire you. It's true. Musicians are popular. Anyone who can play anything is in demand at parties and social gatherings. And if you can "chord" while others sing, you're bound to be popular. 7) Piano playing using chords is good for your brain. Studies have shown that people who actively participate in music do their brain lots of good. And since chords require 3 or 4 notes at a time instead of one, you are giving your brain a good workout. 8) Piano playing, particularly using chords, is good exercise for your wrists and fingers. (Take the time to learn about correct hand position, though!) 9) Piano playing is excellent therapy for the stress of life. Many professional people come home from a hard days work and relax by expressing their emotions on the keyboard. Play a few dark and angry chords, and you'll be surprised how much better you feel! 10) Piano playing is a blast. It's just plain old fun. So learn 3 or 4 chords and get going. Maybe you'll stop there and enjoy it the rest of your life. But just maybe you'll love it so much that you keep going and turn yourself into an excellent piano player who can read music as well as play chords! About The Author Duane Shinn is the author of the book-CD-DVD course titled "How To Play Chord Piano In Ten Days!" which has sold over 100,000 copies around the world and can be found at http://www.chordpiano.com/piano-chords. duane@playpiano.com

Recommended Stuff

Piano Chord Chart:

Piano Chord Chart

Free Online Reference - for finding any Chords.

Virtual Piano Keyboard:

Virtual Piano Keyboard

Free Online Piano Keyboard - for practicing new skills you learn from our Free Piano Lessons, or Tutorial Videos below:

Watch these Free Piano Tutorial Videos:
Black Key Groups , White Key Names , Five Fingers Exercise , Whole Steps Half Steps

Piano Keyboards & Accessories
Piano-Related Topics
Piano Learning CDs for Beginners
Piano CDs or MP3 Downloads
Download Free Blank Sheet Music - Single / Double Staff
Download Free Sheet Music for Beginners

50 Free Piano Lessons:

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Lesson 1 - Patterns of Black & White Piano Keys
Lesson 2 - Names of White Keys
Lesson 3 - Names of Black Keys
Lesson 4 - Grand Staff: Diagram of the Piano Keyboard
Lesson 8 - Learn to Play "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
Lesson 10-Three Primary Chords
Lesson 13-Major Scale
Lesson 17-Chord Inversions
Lesson 23-Arpeggios

Click for --- List of Free Piano Lessons

Free Sheet Music for Beginners

Download / Print out these Sheet Music for Free:

Deck The Halls
Camptown Races
Yankee Doodle
Clementine
Aura Lee
I'm A Little Teapot

Download Free BLANK Sheet Music - Single / Double
Download Free Sheet Music - Bach, Beethoven, Joplin

Fur Elise
Moonlight Sonata
Ode to Joy
The Entertainer
Greensleeves
Ballade

Free Sheet Music Preview

Search your Favorite Music below:

Click on any Song Titles below for

Free Sheet Music Preview

Lines,Vines and Trying Times
Fearless
You Raise Me Up
How to Save a Life
Only Hope
Theme from the Simpsons
Star Trek The Next Generation

Breathe
Chariot
Beatles Songs
Imagine
Ebony and Ivory
Harbor Lights

Layout of Piano Keys:

Lesson 1 - Layout of Piano Keys

Watch these two Piano Tuutorial Videos, and test your skills using the Keyboard Trainer (below):

Lesson 2 - " Names of White Piano Keys " Lesson 3 - " Names of Black Keys "

Keyboard Trainer

Music Tools - Keyboard Trainer
Watch the two videos above and test your keyboard skills here:

1. Press "New Key" button to activate the keyboard trainer
2. A new key will be highlighted on the piano keyboard
3. Select the correct key name by pressing on the button
with that note name.
(Note: the counter will keep track of your scores)

Five Fingers Exercise

Five Fingers Exercise - Piano Techniques for Beginners
Practice this drill prior to practicing or playing any songs:

Learn "Brother John"
Featured Sample Flash Animation - Learn to Play Brother John (click "PLAY" button below)

Piano Keyboards & Accessories

Or, Search for More Selections of Piano Keyboards

List of Free Piano Lessons:

ZebraKeys' Online Piano Lessons

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Click for > Virtual Piano Keyboard to use with the Piano Lessons below:

Custom Search

Piano Basics:

Lesson 1 - Patterns of Black and White Piano Keys
Lesson 2 - Names of White Keys
Lesson 3 - Names of Black Keys
Lesson 4 - Grand Staff: Diagram of the Piano Keyboard
Lesson 5 - Note Durations

Beginners Piano:

Lesson 6 - Learn How to Play "Brother John"
Lesson 7 - Learn How to Play "London Bridge is Falling Down"
Lesson 8 - Learn How to Play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Lesson 9 - Playing the Major Chord
Lesson 10-Three Primary Chords
Lesson 11-12 Bar Blues Chord Progression
Lesson 12-12 Keys of Music
Lesson 13-Major Scale
Lesson 14-Intervals
Lesson 15-Chords of the Major Scale
Lesson 16-Circle of Fifths (5ths)
Lesson 17-Chord Inversions
Lesson 18-Double Chord Pattern
Lesson 19-Broken Chord Pattern
Lesson 20-Arpeggio Chord Pattern
Lesson 21-Sounds of the Orient
Lesson 22-Mysterious Sounds
Lesson 23-Arpeggios

Intermediate Piano:

Lesson 24-Learn How to Play "America"
Lesson 25-Learn How to Play "Silent Night"
Lesson 26-Learn How to Play "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
Lesson 27-Playing the Minor Chord
Lesson 28-Three Secondary Chords
Lesson 29-Dominant 7th Chord
Lesson 30-Major 7th Chord
Lesson 31-Minor 7th Chord
Lesson 32-Natural Minor Scale
Lesson 33-Chords of the Natural Minor Scale
Lesson 34-Melody as Octaves
Lesson 35-Root Chord Pattern
Lesson 36-Adding Harmony Notes in the Right Hand"
Lesson 37-Major Chord Inversions"
Lesson 38-Chord Inversion Straddles"

Advanced Piano:

Lesson 39-Learn How to Play "The First Noel"
Lesson 40-Learn How to Play "Auld Lang Syne"
Lesson 41-Learn How to Play "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
Lesson 42-Diminished Chord
Lesson 43-Augmented Chord
Lesson 44-6th Chords
Lesson 45-Sus2 Chords
Lesson 46-Sus4 Chords
Lesson 47-Major 9th Chords
Lesson 48-Major 11th Chords
Lesson 49-Major 13th Chords
Lesson 50-Borrowed Chords (Coming Soon)

SEARCH for your Favorite Piano-Related Topics below:

Learn Songs for Beginners:

Featured Sample Flash Animation - Learn to play London Bridge is Falling Down

(click "PLAY" button below)

ZebraKeys's Z-Board

Virtual Piano Keyboard

USE it to practice what you have learned from the "PIANO LESSONS" section. You can also practice to play "London Bridge is Falling Down, or any songs from the "Learn Songs" section (see below). (Note: You must have Flash 8 or higher to use this keyboard!)

Learn Songs:

"Learn Songs"
- Click on any of the song titles below to WATCH the animation demo & learn how to play the song:
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Silent Night
The First Noel
Auld Lang Syne
More Christmas Songs

START practicing some of these songs online using Virtual Piano Keyboard (ZebraKeys' Z-Board) above, or your own piano keyboard at home. Browse products below, or Click and Search for Piano Keyboards & Accessories:

Black Key Groups

Lesson 1 - Layout of Piano Keys
Watch this video and test your skills using the "Keyboard Trainer" below:

White Key Names

Lesson 2 - Name of White Keys
Watch this video and test your skills using the "Keyboard Trainer" below:

Music Tools - Keyboard Trainer
Watch two videos above and test your skills here:
Name the highlighted key appeared on the piano keyboard, then select the correct key name corresponding to that piano key.

Note Trainer

Music Tools - Note Trainer
Test your note reading skills here.
Name the music note appeared on the music staff, then select the correct note name corresponding to that music note.

Music Tools

More FREE Online Interactive Music Tools :

Interval Ear Trainer
Scale Ear Trainer
Chord Ear Trainer
Virtual Piano Chord Chart
Virtual Piano Keyboard

Link to >> Piano Learning Tools