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The study of piano chords can be both intriguing and perplexing. Many piano students long to swap out ordinary chords for the sound of rich and complex professional chords. However, if you want to play amazing piano chords with a pro sound, then you have to think like a pro when it comes to chords shapes. In today’s Quick Tip, Make Ordinary Piano Chords Sound Amazing, Jonny May shows students how to think differently about chord shapes in order to level up their piano sound. You’ll learn:

• Intro: Identifying Barriers to Amazing Chords
• In Search of a Way to Play Better Piano Chords
• Four Stock Shapes for Amazing Piano Chords
• Amazing Piano Chords Application

Intro: Identifying Barriers to Amazing Chords

When you listen to professional musicians play amazing piano chords that seamlessly transition from one sound to the next, it’s clear that they have learned some harmonic secrets. However, have you ever wondered exactly what it is that they know about chords that perhaps you don’t?

Usually, beginner pianists are stuck playing ordinary chords because they are hindered by barriers in their harmonic understanding. In other words, it is generally not physical limitations that prevent students from playing more impressive sounding chords. Instead, beginner pianists typically have knowledge gaps that hang over their harmonic vocabulary like a drop ceiling. Such knowledge gaps include:

1. Limited Understanding of Chord Construction
2. Unfamiliarity with Voice Leading Principles

In today’s lesson, our aim is to awaken students’ harmonic curiosity and to help them breakthrough these types of knowledge gaps so that they can start playing amazing piano chords. If that sounds exciting to you, then be sure to go ahead and download the lesson sheet PDF for today’s lesson. The lesson sheet appears at the bottom of this page after logging in with your membership. In addition, PWJ members can easily transpose this lesson to any key using our Smart Sheet Music.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the two knowledge gaps that we mentioned above.

1. Limited Understanding of Chord Construction

A few years ago, I was seated at the piano next to a self-taught adult pianist who was hungry to play more expressive piano chords. He was seeking my feedback on an instrumental piano composition of his that was a work-in-progress. As he performed his piece for me, I noticed that all of the chords that he played had the exact same shape. Specifically, all his chords were triads, which are constructed using every other note of a five-note scale, like the example below.

I don’t remember the exact chords that were in my friend’s composition, but the example below from today’s lesson sheet represents the same general harmonic approach that he had used in his songwriting.

My friend knew that his chords sounded ordinary, but he didn’t know how to make them more expressive. When he asked for my feedback, I made sure to affirm him, and then I gave him my honest opinion. I told him he needed a piano teacher and a curriculum. There was just no way he was going to tinker his way to a more professional sound all by himself—at least, not any time soon.

Of course, that’s not all I told him. I also gave him some tips. In fact, I showed him one of Jonny May’s signature courses: Pop Piano Accompaniment: The One Chord Wonder (Int). In this course, Jonny shows students how layer a simple right-hand chord shape containing the notes C–D–G over different notes in the left-hand. This harmonic approach leads to some very rich sounding chords. My friend was amazed by all the new and exciting chords that he was immediately able to obtain using this approach. In fact, his exact response was, “I thought I had to use every other note!” Clearly, his harmonic presuppositions were functioning as an enormous barrier on his creativity.

2. Unfamiliarity with Voice Leading Principles

Another knowledge gap that often limits students from playing amazing piano chords is their unfamiliarity with voice leading principles. In music theory, we use the term voice leading to describe the consideration given to the manner in which each pitch moves from one chord to the next. In fact, all chord progressions contain some kind of voice leading, either good or bad. Generally speaking, good voice leading seeks to resolve each pitch with close movement by avoiding leaps that are unnecessary, awkward or disjunct.

To illustrate how important voice leading is for pianists, just consider the following chord progression example. Even though this progression contains some advanced piano chords, it lacks the intentional application of strong voice leading principles. As a result, the chords fail to transition smoothly. Instead, the chord transitions sound rather disjunct.

In Search of a Way to Play Better Piano Chords

So far, we’ve discussed how harmonic knowledge gaps can pose significant limitations for amateur pianists. Next, let’s examine how a professional pianist might play the exact same chord progression using advanced chord shapes with good voice leading. In fact, you’ll probably recognize this progression now as the opening chords from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 hit, “Isn’t She Lovely.”

If you are a beginner student or amateur pianist, we hope that the example above will inspire you down a road of greater harmonic curiosity. Take another look at this example. Whether or not you currently play chords like this, you probably can. That’s what today’s lesson is all about. In fact, no matter where you are in your piano journey, our PWJ learning tracks provide a great way to make steady progress toward your piano goals:

• Beginner Piano Foundations Learning Tracks (Levels 1–3)
• Intermediate Piano Foundations Learning Tracks (Levels 4–6)
• Advanced Piano Foundations Learning Tracks (Levels 7–9)

Four Stock Shapes for Amazing Piano Chords

If you want to learn to play amazing chords on piano, then you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the four stock shapes in this section. Virtually all professional pianists use these four shapes to get amazing sounding piano chords.

When we discuss the intervals that are included in each shape, we’ll discuss the intervallic sizes in general terms. For example, some of the 3rd intervals will be major 3rd intervals while others will be minor 3rd intervals. The specific interval size depends upon the chord quality that you’re attempting to play. In other words, these general chord shapes can be applied to multiple chord qualities. This will become clearer as you study, play and compare the various chords in this section.

Shape One: 3-3-3

Shape Two: 3-2-3

Shape Three: 3-2-4

Shape Four: 4-2-3

Now that you’ve observed several examples of how pro pianists use all four stock chord shapes, there is an important detail that we should bring to your attention. If you look back at each example, you’ll notice that the root of the chord is not included in any of the stock shapes. Instead, the root was only added in the left hand. Therefore, we often describe the application of these stock shapes as rootless voicings. In fact, the study of rootless voicings constitutes a complete voicing system that all professional pianists study and master at some point in their training.

🔎 If you want to systematically explore and master rootless voicings, check out our Late Intermediate Piano Foundations – Level 6 Learning Track.

Amazing Piano Chords Application

For the final section of today’s lesson on how to Make Ordinary Piano Chords Sound Amazing, let’s examine a longer excerpt of the chord progression from Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” As you work through this excerpt, be sure to observe how most of the adjacent voicings are connected with minimal movement. For your convenience, each of the chord shapes have been labeled for you.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve finished today’s lesson on Make Ordinary Piano Chords Sound Amazing. With the experience that you’ve gained in today’s lesson, you’re now well on your way to thinking about piano voicings more like a professional pianist.

If you enjoyed today’s lesson, then be sure to check out the following PWJ resources:

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