Piano Chords

Every chord below is spelled out, drawn on a keyboard you can press, and graded as you play it. No download, no account: click the notes and the page tells you whether you found them.

Chords are named by their root note and their quality. C is the root; major, minor, 7th and the rest describe the distances stacked above it. Learn one quality across all twelve roots and you have learned a shape, not a fact.

Each quality below is a chord chart of its own: one list, twelve roots, in order from C. If you are starting out, the next section names the five to play first.

Piano chords for beginners: start with these five

Five chords get you through a startling number of real songs: C major, F major, G major, A minor and E minor.

All five use white keys only. They are the chords the key of C hands you, which is a large part of why so much pop music quietly lives there.

Learn C, F and G first. Those are the three major triads of the key, and between them they end most songs you already know. Then add the two minors. A minor is A C E, so it shares C and E with C major. E minor is E G B, and shares G and B with G major. Your hand barely moves and the mood flips.

Major chords

Bright and settled. The chord most songs start and end on.

Chord Notes
C C E G
C♯ C♯ E♯ G♯
D D F♯ A
E♭ E♭ G B♭
E E G♯ B
F F A C
F♯ F♯ A♯ C♯
G G B D
A♭ A♭ C E♭
A A C♯ E
B♭ B♭ D F
B B D♯ F♯

Minor chords

One note lower in the middle, and the whole mood changes.

Chord Notes
Cm C E♭ G
C♯m C♯ E G♯
Dm D F A
E♭m E♭ G♭ B♭
Em E G B
Fm F A♭ C
F♯m F♯ A C♯
Gm G B♭ D
A♭m A♭ C♭ E♭
Am A C E
B♭m B♭ D♭ F
Bm B D F♯

Diminished chords

Unsettled on purpose. It exists to move somewhere else.

Chord Notes
Cdim C E♭ G♭
C♯dim C♯ E G
Ddim D F A♭
E♭dim E♭ G♭ A
Edim E G B♭
Fdim F A♭ C♭
F♯dim F♯ A C
Gdim G B♭ D♭
A♭dim A♭ C♭ D
Adim A C E♭
B♭dim B♭ D♭ F♭
Bdim B D F

Augmented chords

Suspended in mid-air, no key really owns it, which is why it is used to get between two that do.

Chord Notes
Caug C E G♯
C♯aug C♯ E♯ A
Daug D F♯ A♯
E♭aug E♭ G B
Eaug E G♯ B♯
Faug F A C♯
F♯aug F♯ A♯ D
Gaug G B D♯
A♭aug A♭ C E
Aaug A C♯ E♯
B♭aug B♭ D F♯
Baug B D♯ G

Dominant 7th chords

The strongest pull in tonal music. It wants to resolve, and it wants to resolve now.

Chord Notes
C7 C E G B♭
C♯7 C♯ E♯ G♯ B
D7 D F♯ A C
E♭7 E♭ G B♭ D♭
E7 E G♯ B D
F7 F A C E♭
F♯7 F♯ A♯ C♯ E
G7 G B D F
A♭7 A♭ C E♭ G♭
A7 A C♯ E G
B♭7 B♭ D F A♭
B7 B D♯ F♯ A

Major 7th chords

Warm and unhurried. The sound of a ballad that is in no rush.

Chord Notes
Cmaj7 C E G B
C♯maj7 C♯ E♯ G♯ B♯
Dmaj7 D F♯ A C♯
E♭maj7 E♭ G B♭ D
Emaj7 E G♯ B D♯
Fmaj7 F A C E
F♯maj7 F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯
Gmaj7 G B D F♯
A♭maj7 A♭ C E♭ G
Amaj7 A C♯ E G♯
B♭maj7 B♭ D F A
Bmaj7 B D♯ F♯ A♯

Minor 7th chords

Minor without the melancholy. Soul and jazz live here, and so do most film cues.

Chord Notes
Cm7 C E♭ G B♭
C♯m7 C♯ E G♯ B
Dm7 D F A C
E♭m7 E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭
Em7 E G B D
Fm7 F A♭ C E♭
F♯m7 F♯ A C♯ E
Gm7 G B♭ D F
A♭m7 A♭ C♭ E♭ G♭
Am7 A C E G
B♭m7 B♭ D♭ F A♭
Bm7 B D F♯ A

Sus2 chords

Neither major nor minor: the third is replaced by the note below it.

Chord Notes
Csus2 C D G
C♯sus2 C♯ D♯ G♯
Dsus2 D E A
E♭sus2 E♭ F B♭
Esus2 E F♯ B
Fsus2 F G C
F♯sus2 F♯ G♯ C♯
Gsus2 G A D
A♭sus2 A♭ B♭ E♭
Asus2 A B E
B♭sus2 B♭ C F
Bsus2 B C♯ F♯

Sus4 chords

The third is replaced by the note above. Tension without darkness.

Chord Notes
Csus4 C F G
C♯sus4 C♯ F♯ G♯
Dsus4 D G A
E♭sus4 E♭ A♭ B♭
Esus4 E A B
Fsus4 F B♭ C
F♯sus4 F♯ B C♯
Gsus4 G C D
A♭sus4 A♭ D♭ E♭
Asus4 A D E
B♭sus4 B♭ E♭ F
Bsus4 B E F♯

Add9 chords

A major chord with one extra color on top and nothing taken away.

Chord Notes
Cadd9 C E G D
C♯add9 C♯ E♯ G♯ D♯
Dadd9 D F♯ A E
E♭add9 E♭ G B♭ F
Eadd9 E G♯ B F♯
Fadd9 F A C G
F♯add9 F♯ A♯ C♯ G♯
Gadd9 G B D A
A♭add9 A♭ C E♭ B♭
Aadd9 A C♯ E B
B♭add9 B♭ D F C
Badd9 B D♯ F♯ C♯

Related Topics...

  • Piano Chord Finder: A piano chord finder that names any chord as you play it on a MIDI keyboard, in the browser or the app: inversions, ear training, chords inside real sheet music

  • Sheet Music: Free piano sheet music, hand-picked so it reads easily and sounds good: scales, chords, beginner songs, folk tunes, Beethoven. Download PDFs or play in Chordzy.

  • Music Theory: Music theory piano players use: scales, key signatures, the chords inside a key and how to read them, all playable as interactive sheet music in your browser.

  • Piano Scales: Every piano scale in one chart: the notes, the key signature and the number of sharps or flats for all twelve major and twelve minor keys.

More in This Section

  • Claude Debussy: Claude Debussy is one of the most famous classical composers. Play his piano sheet music for free with Chordzy, starting with a simplified Clair de Lune.

  • A Add9 Chord: A Add9 (Aadd9) is A, C♯, E, B. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Augmented Chord: A Augmented (Aaug) is A, C♯, F. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Diminished Chord: A Diminished (Adim) is A, C, D♯. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Dominant 7th Chord: A Dominant 7th (A7) is A, C♯, E, G. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Add9 Chord: A Flat Add9 (A♭add9) is A♭, C, E♭, B♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Augmented Chord: A Flat Augmented (A♭aug) is A♭, C, F♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Diminished Chord: A Flat Diminished (A♭dim) is A♭, C♭, D. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Dominant 7th Chord: A Flat Dominant 7th (A♭7) is A♭, C, E♭, G♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Major Chord: A Flat Major (A♭) is A♭, C, E♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Major 7th Chord: A Flat Major 7th (A♭maj7) is A♭, C, E♭, G. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Minor Chord: A Flat Minor (A♭m) is A♭, C♭, E♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Minor 7th Chord: A Flat Minor 7th (A♭m7) is A♭, C♭, E♭, G♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Sus2 Chord: A Flat Sus2 (A♭sus2) is A♭, B♭, E♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Flat Sus4 Chord: A Flat Sus4 (A♭sus4) is A♭, D♭, E♭. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Major Chord: A Major (A) is A, C♯, E. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Major 7th Chord: A Major 7th (Amaj7) is A, C♯, E, G♯. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Minor Chord: A Minor (Am) is A, C, E. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Minor 7th Chord: A Minor 7th (Am7) is A, C, E, G. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Sus2 Chord: A Sus2 (Asus2) is A, B, E. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • A Sus4 Chord: A Sus4 (Asus4) is A, D, E. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • B Add9 Chord: B Add9 (Badd9) is B, D♯, F♯, C♯. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • B Augmented Chord: B Augmented (Baug) is B, D♯, G. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • B Diminished Chord: B Diminished (Bdim) is B, D, F. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.

  • B Dominant 7th Chord: B Dominant 7th (B7) is B, D♯, F♯, A. Play it on the keyboard on this page, then learn both inversions and where the chord turns up.