Learn all about minor chords for piano below
Our comprehensive resources below will help pianists of all ages identify and play minor chords with confidence. From today’s four-chord pop progressions to the music of Beethoven, piano music uses minor chords to add tension and sadness. In the same way every silver lining needs a cloud, minor chords provide the darkness so that the sunlight can break through.
A key part of musical theory and piano technique for all pianists, minor chords may seem mysterious for piano learners. Hoffman Academy offers a variety of resources for piano learners of all ages that will make playing minor chords easy! In this article, we’ll share video tutorials that show how to play minor chords on the piano. Check out our Ultimate Piano Chord Chart for all major and minor chords on the piano.
What is a minor chord on piano?
A minor chord consists of a root note, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. To build a minor chord on the piano, pick a starting note, travel 3 half steps to the minor third from the root note, and then travel four more half steps to the perfect fifth from the root note. Alternatively, you can practice changing a major chord to a minor chord by lowering the third scale degree by a half step. As an example, you can play a C Major chord (C – E – G) and then lower the third scale degree to an Eb to make C minor (C – Eb- G).
As piano playing becomes more complex, minor chords can appear in inversions. An inversion means that the chord has been flipped. Sometimes, the middle note (also referred to as the third) is on the bottom of the chord. For older children with larger hands and adults, try playing the chord in root position (C – Eb – G) and then the first inversion (Eb- G – C).
What is the music theory behind minor chords?
Minor chords naturally occur in both major and minor scales. Triads, or groups of three notes, can be understood as major or minor chords based on the intervals between the three notes. If there is a major third between the root note and the middle note, it’s a major chord. If the interval between the first two notes of the triad is a minor third, it’s a minor chord. Below is the pattern of whole and half steps in solfege that creates the natural minor scale. We can build a minor chord using Do – Me – So.
In contrast, here is a major scale in solfege. The major chord Do-Mi-So (or tonic chord), has intervals of a Major Third (two whole steps) between Do and Mi and a minor third ( a whole and half step) between Mi and So. In the major scale, Do – Mi – So is a major chord, but we find a minor chord if we play Re – Fa – La or La – Do – Mi:
How to play minor chords on the piano
You can play minor chords on the piano right away! The music theory above will help you understand how to build a minor chord from the notes of any scale. To create a root plus a minor third, plus a perfect fifth, pick a note, count up three half steps, and then four half steps.
A great way to start incorporating minor chords into your playing includes learning songs that use a four-chord progression. Many pop and rock songs use a version of the I- IV- vi – V (or 1 – 4 – 6 – 5) progression. Even though these songs are in a major key, the vi chord, or 6 chord, is a minor chord. Since four-chord songs use diatonic chords, there’s no special accidentals to remember – you’ll just build a triad on top of the 6th scale degree to play a minor chord. To change the emotion or sound of the chord progression, you can change the order in which you play the chords. This changes the way they function harmonically, creating different sequences of stability and instability. Check out our list of four-chord progression songs here to learn some pieces that use both major and minor chords. Below is a picture of the four chords used: C major, G major, F major, and A minor.
How to find minor chords on piano
To find and build minor chords on the piano, you will need to practice identifying key signatures and your major and minor scales. First, identify the minor key you are playing in. Experienced musicians can quickly determine the key of a piece of music, understand the relationship between different keys, and navigate the use of accidentals in their performances or compositions. Once you know what key signature the piece is in, the scale will determine the notes that are part of the chord.
Next, build your minor chord! Remember, minor chords on piano are made up of a root note, a minor third note above the root, and a perfect fifth above the root. To build a minor chord, start with the root note. Then, count up a whole step plus a half step to build the minor third and then two whole steps from the minor third to the perfect fifth.
What is the most popular minor key?
The easiest minor key to start with for beginner pianists is A minor, which uses only the white keys on the piano. Because it is the relative minor scale of C major, the key signature for A minor does not have any sharps or flats. A favorite of pianists of all ages, Beethoven’s “Für Elise” is in A minor – check out a tutorial to start playing right away here!
Musicians and statisticians have studied which keys were most commonly used by classical composers. In a recent study, statisticians compared the key signatures of works of 10 classical composers ranging from Bach to Brahms to Rachmaninoff. The data found that the most commonly used minor key for the over 4,800 works studied was G minor, followed by D minor and A minor, with C minor rounding out the top four.
Now you know how to find and play minor chords on piano!
Even though minor chords add a hint of sadness or introspection musically, they don’t have to make musicians sad! With our resources like the Reference Sheet for All Major and Minor Triads and our Minor Scales Fingering Guide, you’ll be able to play songs with major and minor chords with confidence.