Piano chord chart
Every common piano chord in all 12 keys. Pick a chord to see its notes on a keyboard, hear it, learn the inversions and get fingering for both hands.
How piano chords work
Most chords start as a triad: a root, a third and a fifth, played by skipping every other white key. C - E - G is C major. Lower the middle note by one key and you get C minor. Add a fourth note and you get a 7th chord. Learn these three ideas and you can build any chord on this page.
All chords by key
Which chords should a beginner learn first?
Start with the major chords C, F and G, then the minor chords A minor, D minor and E minor. Those six chords are every major and minor triad in the key of C, and together they play thousands of pop, folk and worship songs. Once those feel easy, learn the same pattern in G major (G, C, D, E minor, A minor, B minor).
Chord types at a glance
| Chord type | Formula | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|
| major | 1 - 3 - 5 | bright, stable and resolved |
| minor | 1 - ♭3 - 5 | darker, softer and more emotional |
| dominant 7th | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 | bluesy with a strong pull toward the next chord |
| major 7th | 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 | warm, jazzy and relaxed |
| minor 7th | 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 | mellow and smooth, common in soul, R&B and jazz |
| diminished | 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 | tense and unstable; it wants to move somewhere |
| augmented | 1 - 3 - ♯5 | dreamy and suspenseful, like a question |
| suspended 2nd | 1 - 2 - 5 | open and airy, neither major nor minor |
| suspended 4th | 1 - 4 - 5 | unresolved; it usually settles back to the major chord |
| major 6th | 1 - 3 - 5 - 6 | sweet and nostalgic, heard often in swing and old pop |
| minor 6th | 1 - ♭3 - 5 - 6 | mysterious and cinematic |
| add 9 | 1 - 3 - 5 - 9 | shimmering and modern, a favorite in pop ballads |
| dominant 9th | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 | rich and funky, a staple of funk, gospel and jazz |
| half-diminished 7th | 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7 | moody and searching; it often leads to a dominant chord |
| diminished 7th | 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - 𝄫7 | dramatic and suspenseful, the classic silent-movie villain chord |