How to Learn Chords and Ways to Practice Them on Piano

With So Many Chords to Practice, How Do You Approach It?

When I came back to piano about 10 years ago, after more than 20 years away, my goal was to improvise from lead sheets. Play from chord charts like the ones in iReal Pro. To do that, I needed to know all the chords -- and I mean know them. Not figure them out by counting half steps. Know them the way you know the letters of the alphabet.

There are 12 notes on the piano, repeating in octaves. That means 12 major triads, 12 minor triads. Add 7ths and other qualities, and there are a lot of chords to learn. But the approach is the same for all of them. The best way to learn chords on piano is the same as learning anything else: learn each one, then practice until you can play any of them without thinking.

First, Learn the Shapes

Start with major triads in root position. Play C major, then move to G, then D, around the circle of 4ths (or 5ths, whichever direction you prefer). The circle is useful because each chord is only slightly different from the one before it. The fingerings change gradually. You start to group similar shapes together in your memory.

Once you can play all 12 major triads in root position, do the same thing with first inversion. Then second inversion. Then do all three inversions for minor triads.

24 chords, 3 inversions each -- it takes time. But you don't need to memorize all of it before you start practicing. You need to play each one at least once, look at your hands, feel what the shape is. The biggest leap is between "I've never played this chord shape before" and "I've played all of these shapes at least once."

Then, Drill Until It's Automatic

Once you know the shapes, you practice them until your hands move without you having to think. This is what takes months.

I did 15-minute drilling sessions. I made videos of chord names scrolling up the screen so I could play along without stopping to decide what to play next. They're still on YouTube if you want to use them: If You Practice - scrolling videos

Work around the circle of 4ths. When that gets easy, use a random list of chord names. The goal is to see or hear a chord name and have your hands go there.

Different Ways to Practice Chords

I practiced chords lots of different ways, depending on what skill I wanted to build:

Block chords. Just play all three (or four) notes together. This is the starting point. Get fast at playing block chords with either hand before you move on.

Broken chords and arpeggios. Play the notes one at a time in a pattern. Like 1-3-5, or 1-5-3-5. Pick a pattern and play it around the circle. Then try a different pattern.

Left hand chord patterns. I practiced different accompaniment patterns: stride jumps, arpeggiated bass lines, root-fifth patterns. Pick one pattern and play it for every chord around the circle. Then try it with a random list of chords.

Right hand chords under a melody. This is harder. Play a chord with fingers 1, 2, and 3 while fingers 4 and 5 play a melody pattern on top. I practiced this by playing inversions and hitting a simple melody note with my pinky. It's awkward at first.

Moving from chord to chord. Practice the transitions, not just the individual chords. Pick two chords and move between them until it's smooth. Then add a third. A lot of mistakes happen during the move, not while you're holding the chord.

Eyes closed. Once you can find the chords reliably, practice with your eyes closed. You need to feel where the black keys are without looking. This takes a while but is crucial for when you're practicing sight-reading.

The Point of All This

A person who can improvise or play from a chord chart has done this work already. They practiced until their hands knew where to go. They didn't figure out each chord in the moment -- they just played it.

When I would think about what I wanted to be able to do, I'd ask myself: what would a person who could do that also be able to do? And if I couldn't do that easier thing, I practiced it until I could.

Let me be honest: I'm not great at improvising. I still have trouble thinking fast enough. But I can find any chord quickly, in any inversion, with either hand. That part I practiced enough.