Piano: Minor Chords
In the previous two articles (Part 4 and Part 5) we discussed the major chords from A to G. Now you are ready to be introduced to the minor scales from A to G.
As you start learning to play these, you will soon notice that there are a number of similarities between them. For example A minor or Am, B minor or Bm and C minor or Cm all follow a similar pattern in that the 3rd key of their major chord gets moved one half step to the left.
So that means that on your minor chords, your fingering mostly stays the same as in your major chords, except that your middle finger moves a half step to your left.
*Now remember: The root of the chord is always the easiest to find because its name is in the name of the chord i.e. the root of a C minor chord is C.
How to play a piano minor chord:
We are going to pick a chord for you to learn and we'll take the easiest:
C minor/Cm. Next, look at the diagram below of the keyboard and position your fingers according to the diagram, making sure you place your finger of your
* right hand on: C (1st finger – thumb), Eb (3rd finger – middle finger) and G (5th finger - pinky)
* left hand on: C (5th finger – pinky), Eb (3rd finger – middle finger) and G (1st finger - thumb)
** When you begin playing with your left hand, you’ll notice that the fingering is often the same for both hands. The same fingers play the same notes in both scales, but the numbers are inverted.
(Fingering for both your left and your right hand)
Thumb: 1
Index Finger: 2
Middle Finger: 3
Ring Finger: 4
Pinky Finger: 5
If you are having doubts and getting confused about what to do with your fingers...please refer to one of my previous articles on hand positioning and then come back and continue on from there.
D minor
The root of the D minor chord would be D, its third minor would be F and its fith would be A
E minor
The root of the E minor chord would be E, with its third minor G and its fith B
F minor
The root of the F minor chord would be F, with its third minor Ab and its fith C
G minor
The root of the G minor chord is G, with its third minor Bb and its fith D
A minor
The root of the A minor chord would be A, with its third minor to be C and its fith E
B minor
The root of the B minor chord would be B, with its third minor to be D and its fith F#
The minor chords on a piano is not that hard to “get” but if you struggle, do not hesitate to ask me and I'll try to answer you as best I can. It may look complicated but I urge you...keep at it, you won't be sorry that you did. I hope that this article also helps you in becoming more refined as a musician.
Articles to help you learn how to play piano
- Part 1: The Basics Of Learning To Play Piano
Is it difficult to play the piano? Learning to play the piano is easier than you think. Really, the hardest part is the initial step is to go and sit behind your piano and be motivated to learn the basics.... - Part 2: Piano: Hand Positioning
When you play the piano or keyboard it is very important to position your hands, fingers, wrist, arm and the whole rest of your body correctly. Following these simple suggestions on positioning... - Part 3: Understanding Your Keyboard
In the previous article, we discussed some important principles that you, the new pianist, needs to keep in mind as you step out to learn the piano. In this article we will build upon those principles and... - Part 4: Basic Piano Chords
The above piano shows which notes are being played for each key There are a huge amount of chords that are possible, but most of them are more complex, and many pianist may never even use these complex... - Part 5: Basic Piano Chords Continue
The piano above shows which notes are being played for each key What we have seen so far This is the 5th article in a series on how to play piano. In the first article we went through some important things... - Part 7: Piano: Major Seventh Chords
Out of the major, minor and seventh chords, on the piano, the sevenths are probably a little harder to play, as it involves your fingers needing to stretch some, but easy to grasp as it will always be the... - Part 8: Piano: Dominant Chords
As you go along and learn to play piano, you will take note that the keys/chords are getting a little more complicated in their own right. But then that is how many things in life work. On the piano,...
