How To Tell What Major Key A Song Is In Quickly & Easily

Key signatures are a type of musical notation that indicate which key the song is to be played in. But key signatures, despite the name, are not the same thing as key. Key signatures are simply notational devices; just as a note is the notational name for a pitch, key signatures are the notational names for keys. It is what it says it is: a signature, a simple piece of information that tips you off to the physical form (the key) to be played.

What does it mean to be "in the key of F", or "in the key of Bb"?

It means that the composer based the composition on the scale of F (which has 1 flat in it), or the scale of Bb (which has 2 flats in it).

Key signatures appear right after the clef (before the time signature) and show a sharp or flat on the line or space corresponding to the note to be altered. Key signatures placed at the beginning of songs will carry through the entire song, unless other key signatures are noted after a double bar, canceling out the first. For instance, it's entirely possible to start a song in the key of F but end it in the key of E flat; it all depends on the key signatures and where they're placed throughout the song (a key signature can change at any point). Accidentals can also show up throughout a song and only once or twice flatten or sharpen a note that was not previously indicated; this cancels out the key signatures, as well, but only temporarily, for as long as the accidental lasts.

Beginners just learning to read music often have a hard time with key signatures because the key itself is not expressly written, and it's sometimes difficult to remember what goes where.
Key signatures with five flats or sharps have been known to terrorize new musicians -- how in the world, they think, are we supposed to remember all these note changes while we're playing the song? It's obviously possible, though, and there are some rules that can help beginners identify and remember the key as it relates to the key signatures, rules that go beyond rote memorization. If there is more than one flat, the key is the note on the second to last flat. If there are any sharps at all, the key is a half step up from the last one noted. F major, a key frequently found in beginning sheet music, only has one flat (B), and C major has no sharps or flats at all. Key signatures, when viewed in light of these rules, are much easier for beginners to digest, ensuring that a proper knowledge of key signatures is on its way through the door.
One fact that most people don't realize is that sharps and flats always occur in the same order:

The order of the flats is B, E, A, D, G, C, F.

The order of the sharps is just the opposite -- F, C, G, D, A, E, B.

So if there is one flat in the key signature, it is always B. If there are two flats in the key signature, they are always B and E. Three flats are always B, E, and A. Four flats in a key signature spell the word BEAD. And so on.

It's the same in sharps, too, except backward. If there is one sharp in a key signature, it is always F. Two sharps in a key signature are always F and C. Three are F, C, and G. And so on.
So once you have memorized the order of the flats, all you have to do is apply the rule mentioned earlier: the next to the last flat is the name of the key. For example, if you have four flats in a key signature, they are Bb, Eb, Ab, Db. The last flat is D, so the next to the last flat is A. So the key is Ab.

With sharps, just mentally go up 1/2 step from the last sharp, and that is the key. For example, if a key has 4 sharps, they are F#, C#, G#, D#. One-half step above D# is E, so the key is E.
Memorize the order of the flats and sharps and those two simple rules, and you'll be able to identify what major key any song is in quickly and easily. (Minor keys are just as easy, but beyond the scope of this article.)
http://www.playpiano.com/Articles/24-majorkeyof.htm
Week 22 - "How To Find The Key of a Song When There Are Flats In The Key Signature"
Week 23 - "How To Find The Key of a Song When There Are Sharps In The Key Signature"

How To Color Without Crayons: Adding Color Tones To a Chord

How To Color Without Crayons: Adding Color Tones To a Chord

http://www.playpiano.com/Articles/23-colortones.htm

Adding color tones to a chord is like adding colors to a black and white drawing; it adds depth and dimension and well as bringing it to life.

There is a time and place, of course, for "black and white" music, just as there is in art. And many times as a musician I choose to use shades of grey to color my improvisations on the piano, just as an artist uses light and dark to create the feeling and mood of the sketch.

But there are also times when adding a splash of color can do wonders for your piano playing (or guitar or electronic keyboard or organ or whatever). These musical colors create nuances of texture and feeling that are just not available using shades of grey.

So what colors are available from your musical palate? And how do we blend them in to the existing framework of a song?

I'm glad you asked, because you will be astounded at the number of combinations or color tones that can be blended together into any given chord.

First, though, lets review what a basic black and white chord is made of. Every basic triad is composed of 3 notes: a root (the lowest note of the chord), a 3rd, and a 5th.

A major triad consists of a root, then the 3rd note of the major scale, then the 5th note of a major scale. For example in the key of C the major triad is C, E, and G. In the key of D the major triad is D, F#, and A. Why the F#? Because in the scale of D F# is the 3rd degree. So in the key of Db the major triad is Db, F, and Ab. Why the Ab? Because it is the 5th note in the scale of Db.

A minor triad consists of a root, a 3rd lowered one-half step, and a 5th of the major scale. So instead of E as the 3rd of the chord we use Eb. In the key of D, instead of F# being the 3rd we use F, since it is 1/2 step lower than F#.

An augmented triad consists of a root, a 3rd, and a 5th raised one-half step. So the C augmented triad would be C, E, and G#.

A diminished triad consists of a root, a 3rd lowered one-half step, and a 5th lowered one-half step. So the C diminished triad would be C, Eb, and Gb.

Those are the "black and white" chords: no color, but appropriate in most instances.
But when you want to add a flair of creativity to your playing, here is the color palate you have to work with:

2nds: the 2nd note of a major scale.
6ths: the 6th note of a major scale.
major 7ths: the 7th note of a major scale.
7ths: (also known as dominant 7ths): the lowered 7th of a major scale.
9ths: the 9th note of the major scale (same as the 2nd note except an octave higher). If you're wondering why the 9th is not just called the 2nd, it's because the 9th is combined with other color tones, whereas the 2nd is not.
Flat 9ths: the 9th note of a major scale lowered one-half step.
11ths: the 11th note of a major scale (same as the 4th except an octave higher).
Sharp 11th: the 11th note of a major scale raised one-half step.
13th: the 13th note of a major scale (same as the 6th, except an octave higher).

So you can add a 6th to a major or minor triad to create a brighter sound. You can add a major 7th to a major or minor or diminished triad to create another kind of sound. You can add a 7th (dominant 7th) to a major, minor, diminished, or augmented chord to create another kind of sound. Or you can add a 7th along with a 6th; or a 9th along with a major 7th; or a 9th along with a 7th; or an 11th along with a 9th and a 7th; or a 13th along with an 11th and a 9th and a 7th.

And on and on. We could go on combining color tones until the cows come home, but the best way for you to learn what's possible is to just dig in and experiment. You'll find many, many exciting combinations you can use in various musical situations that will brighten your song and add a rainbow of colors to your creative improvisations.

Inversions: How To Stand a Chord On Its' Head

Inversions: How To Stand a Chord On Its' Head

Many people get all confused when chords are turned upside down. They recognize them when they are in root position, but when you stand them on their head...well, it gets kind of fuzzy for folks.

That's understandable. We grow up playing chords in root position, which means that the name of the chord is on the bottom, with the other two notes an interval of a 3rd above each other. (E is a 3rd above C, and G is a 3rd above E). For example, when we play the C chord in root position, C is the lowest note in the chord, so it seems obvious that it is the C chord.

But when we see the C chord with E on the bottom, or G on the bottom, it's not so obvious, partly because the chord is no longer a stack of 3rds.

Chords upside down are called "inversions".

Here's the deal:

Every 3 note chord (called a "triad" -- trio -- tricycle -- meaning "3") can be played in 3 different positions -- inversions:

Root position = The name of the chord is the bottom note
1st inversion = The name of the chord is the top note
2nd inversion = The name of the chord is the middle note

So when C is the lowest note of the C chord, it is called "root position". When C is the top note of the C chord, it is called "1st inversion". And when C is the middle note of the C chord, it is called "2nd inversion".

So a root position triad (a triad is a 3-note chord) is a stack of 3rds; actually, a minor 3rd on top of a major 3rd. A first inversion triad is a stack with an interval of a 3rd on the bottom and a 4th on top. A second inversion triad is a stack with an interval of a 4th on the bottom and a 3rd on top.

So what?

Here's what: Each inversion has it's own sound, so you can get a variety of sounds by using one inversion and then another. Each inversion also has its own feel, so some pianists find it easier to use a particular inversion than others, particularly to move smoothly from chord to chord.
So what happens when there are more than 3 notes in a chord, as in a 6th chord or a 7th chord?
Same deal -- it's just that now there are 4 positions of the chord instead of 3 as in a triad; root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, and 3rd inversion. That gives the pianist lots of choices for voicing and fingering.

There's no law, either, that a pianist has to use all the notes of a given chord. If I want a more open sound, I might leave out the 5th of a 4-note chord, and just use the root, 3rd, and whatever the other note is -- 6th, 7th, major 7th, 9th, or whatever.

For example, I might voice a C7 chord with E on the bottom, skip the G, then include the Bb and C. Or I might play it as an arpeggio (broken chord) by playing a low root an octave lower, then play the 5th, then the 3rd an octave higher, and then come back to the Bb.

The choices are almost infinite, and the more complex the chord, the more exciting voicing choices there are.

So don't settle for just one position of a chord -- stand it on it's head and experiment with all the luscious choices for voicing it to create a sound all your own.

http://www.playpiano.com/Articles/22-inversions.htm

Sprinkle Some Pepper On Your Musical Meal Through The Use of Augmented Chords

Sprinkle Some Pepper On Your Musical Meal Through The Use of Augmented Chords

Augmented chords are to a piece of music like pepper is to a meal; you would never sit down to a meal of pepper alone, but you might sprinkle a little on your food to liven up the taste a bit.
Augmented triads (triads are 3-note chords) are one of the 4 basic chord types, yet they are used very little compared to major and minor chords.

There are four basic kinds of triads in music:

Major triads: composed of the root, major 3rd, and perfect 5th of a major scale.
Minor triads: composed of the root, minor 3rd, and perfect 5th of a major scale.
Diminished triads: composed of the root, minor 3rd, and diminished 5th of a major scale.
Augmented triads: composed of the root, major 3rd, and augmented 5th of a major scale.

As an example, the C major scale is:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

So a C major triad would be:
C, E, G
A minor triad would be:
C, Eb, G
A diminished triad would be:
C, Eb, Gb
An augmented triad would be:
C, E, G#

Most of the songs we know or hear on the radio or TV (or on our IPOD's or other MP3 player) are written in a major key. That means that most of the chords in those songs are major chords -- only 20% or so are minor chords.

The other 10% of songs and musical compositions are written in a minor key, which means that there will be several minor chords within the context of the piece.

So if nearly 100% of all songs contain major and minor chords, what place is there for diminished and augmented triads?

They are the salt and pepper of a musical meal.

In other words, major chords are like the main dish -- the steak, if you will, of a song. Minor chords are like a side dish of corn or broccoli (yuk!) or whatever. You would never sit down to a meal of just pepper or just salt, would you? Same way here; you use diminished and augmented triads to add spice to your meat and potatoes. We covered diminished triads in an earlier article, so this time we will focus on augmented triads.

Here are the 12 augmented triads:

C aug: C, E, G#
F aug: F, A, C#
G aug: G, B, D#
D aug: D, F#, A#
E aug: E, G#, B# (enharmonic with C)
A aug: A, C#, E# (enharmonic with F)
Db aug: Db, F, A
Eb aug: Eb, G, B
Ab aug: Ab, C, E
Gb aug: Gb, Bb, D
Bb aug: Bb, D, F#
B aug: B, D#, Fx (F double-sharp, which is enharmonic with G)

So like diminished chords, augmented chords are used to add spice to your musical meal. You don't linger on them, but use them as transition chords between a major and another major chord, or between a major and a minor chord, or sometimes even between two minor chords.
As an example, let's say you are playing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in the key of C and your first chord is C major on the entire first phrase "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" As you transition to the F chord on the word "trampling", you can insert a C augmented triad on the words "He is". It only lasts one beat, but it adds interest to the song by leading smoothly from the C chord to the F chord.

You could also use a C augmented chord in the chorus as you move from the 1st phrase "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" to the second "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" You are moving from a C chord to an F chord, so insert a C+ chord (the symbol for an augmented triad is a + sign) right before you play the F chord.

As you play various songs, look for opportunities to use augmented triads as transition chords. And just like pepper is to a meal of food, so augmented triads are to a musical meal.

http://www.playpiano.com/101-tips/7-augmented.htm

Learn Music Fast -- Online!

Learn music fast online

With the advent of the internet there is no longer any excuse for not learning music if a person wants to learn. Learning music online has revolutionized learning, since it is the first time in history that anyone with a computer can virtually find out anything they want to know about music -- and find out quick!

There are sites galore teaching everything about music from chords to trombone lessons to drum lessons to music theory lessons to guitar lessons to piano lessons, and a whole lot more. Many are free while others charge a very reasonable tuition. But think what a bargain that is; no travel, no traffic jams; no rescheduling lessons; no missed lessons; and because the lessons are online (or in some cases on CD's and DVD's) they can be replayed over and over until the lesson is thoroughly learned, which is not the case in a personal lesson or a college classroom. You have one chance to understand, and if you don't, you're immediately behind the curve and have to do extra studies to catch up. Not so with online music lessons.

Back just 15 years ago if an individual wanted to learn music, about the only places he or she could do so would be from a private teacher, a music school of some sort -- private or public or correspondence, or self-taught from a music book. All of which is fine, but slow if an individual is really chomping at the bit to learn, and learn fast.

But today there are literally hundreds of sites on the internet from which any ambitious person can access and learn virtually anything they want about music. There are sites dealing with music instruction for beginners as well as college-level sites that deal with figured bass and advanced music theory and composition issues, as well as improvisation and arranging music.

For example, there are piano lesson sites that teach how to improvise -- all styles of improvisation including jazz, rock, gospel, new age music and more. There are piano instruction sites that shows you how to play piano sheet music as a map, instead of having to sight read the printed music as it is written. By learning how to do this, you can create your own free piano sheet music by creating a song and then notating it in a music software program such as Finale using piano tabs, piano chords, and chord symbols. A person can learn to play piano notes by the fist-full by learning piano chording music styles.

Learning to play the piano, learning to read piano music, learning piano songs from classical music to popular music is one of the most fun things a person can do. There are piano lessons online using major chords, minor chords, 7th chords, and all kinds of chord progressions. Learning to play the piano music of your dreams using piano chords & piano chording techniques is now within the reach of anyone with an internet connection! And don't forget harmony and music theory -- including scales and fingering of scale and chord passages in musical scores and sheet music -- it's all available online. Music history and music appreciation is important too -- guys like Bach & Mozart & Beethoven & Chopin knew what they were doing -- and we can learn much from them and stand on their shoulders simply by accessing the biggest library in the history of mankind -- the cyber library of the internet.

Here are just a few of the sites online where you can learn music:

http://www.workshoplive.com/ Guitar lessons online using video. Song writing instruction.

http://www.berkleemusic.com/ The Berklee School of Music in Boston has long been one of the two or three top schools in the world for aspiring jazz musicians. Now it has an online division, so you don't have to pack your bags for Boston -- you can learn music right at home.

http://mto.societymusictheory.org/ Music theory and criticism for advanced musicians, teachers, composers, and scholars.

http://www.musictheory.net/ Includes introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, ear training.

http://www.murraystate.edu/qacd/cfac/music/MUS109e/intro/chapter_index.htm An interactive internet course for learning music fundamentals. Designed to be a high school AP course or freshman college level remedial theory course.

http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/index.htm Tutorials on reading music, scales, intervals, chords.

http://www.playpiano.com/101-tips/FreeLessons.htm 101-part online newsletter teaching piano chords & chord progressions.

This list just scratches the surface; if you type "music lessons online" into the Google search box, you will come up with something like eight million results! "Piano lessons" will call up about a million and a half, while "guitar lessons online" will bring up over two million search results.

With this abundance of material online, there is no excuse for anyone who really wants to learn music to not avail themselves of the opportunity, especially when they realize that this is the first time in the history of the world that this riches of knowledge has been available with just the click of a mouse.

http://www.playpiano.com/Articles/20-learnmusiconline.htm

http://www.playpiano.com/101-tips/FreeLessons.htm

Can You Play All The Major Chords in 3 Seconds or Less?

Can YOU Play All The Major Chords in 3 Seconds or Less?

Did you have any idea how easy it is to learn ALL the major chords (there are 12 of them)
and be able to play them in seconds -- not hours or days or weeks or months or years?
Some people go through their entire lives not being sure about what such and such a major
chord is -- and it's all so unnecessary, because you can memorize them in just a few
minutes, and learn to play them in 12 seconds or less - one second per major chord.

I have had many private students over the years who could play them all in as little as 5
seconds -- one little gal (she was about 12 at the time) had particularly fast hands, and
could play them in - believe it or not - 3 seconds! I have slow hands with fat fingers,
and yet I can play them in something like 5 or 6 seconds. So if I can do it with little
fat hands and chubby short fingers, you can too.

First, here's what the major chords look like on the staff: I hope you noticed that 3 of
the major chords were made of all white keys: C F G. And I hope you noticed that 3 of the
major chords were made of white keys on the outside, with a black key in the middle: D E
A. And did you notice that 3 of the major chords were like an Oreo cookie? Black on the
outside, white on the inside? Db Eb Ab. That only leaves 3 major chords, one of which is
all black, and one of which is white, black, black, and the other the reverse -- black,
white, white. Gb (all black) B (white, black, black) Bb (black, white, white). And that's
it..

Practice playing the first 3 major chords over and over until you can move between them
smoothly and quickly. Then practice the next 3 major chords -- then the next 3 -- then
the last 3. After you can play them by 3's, practice playing the first 6 without
stopping. Then practice the first 9 without stopping. Then finally practice playing all
12 without stopping.

There's no particular virtue, of course, in playing them quickly, except for the fact
that it makes you confident you can find them in a hurry when you need them in a song.
But you'll find that as your confidence grows, your enjoyment and competence in piano
playing will grow commensurately.

For a sight-and-sound lesson on the 12 major chords, please go to:

Major chords

http://playpiano.com/101-tips/3-major-chords.htm

Diminished Triads: The Salt of a Musical Meal

Diminished Chords: The Salt of a Musical Meal

There are four basic kinds of triads (3-note chords) in music:

Major triads: composed of the root, major 3rd, and perfect 5th of a major scale.
Minor triads: composed of the root, minor 3rd, and perfect 5th of a major scale.
Diminished triads: composed of the root, minor 3rd, and diminished 5th of a major scale.
Augmented triads: composed of the root, major 3rd, and augmented 5th of a major scale.

As an example, the C major scale is:

C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

So a C major triad would be:
C, E, G
A minor triad would be:
C, Eb, G
A diminished triad would be:
C, Eb, Gb
An augmented triad would be:
C, E, G#

About 90% of the songs we know or hear on the radio or TV (or on our IPOD's or other MP3 player) are written in a major key. That means that most of the chords in those songs are major chords -- only 20% or so are minor chords.

The other 10% of songs and musical compositions are written in a minor key, which means that there will be several minor chords within the context of the piece.
So if nearly 100% of all songs contain major and minor chords, what place is there for diminished and augmented triads?

They are the salt and pepper of a musical meal.

In other words, major chords are like the main dish -- the steak, if you will, of a song. Minor chords are like a side dish of corn or broccoli (yuk!) or whatever.

You would never sit down to a meal of just pepper or just salt, would you? Same way here; you use diminished and augmented triads to add spice to your meat and potatoes.

So here are the 12 diminished triads:

C dim: C, Eb, Gb
F dim: F, Ab, Cb
G dim: G, Bb, Db
D dim: D, F, Ab
E dim: E, G, Bb
A dim: A, C, Eb
Db dim: Db, Fb, Abb (same as G)(By the way, Db dim is enharmonic with C# dim)
Eb dim: Eb, Gb, Bbb (same as A) (Eb dim is enharmonic with D# dim)
Ab dim: Ab, Cb, Ebb (same as D) (Ab dim is enharmonic with G# dim)
Gb dim: Gb, Bb, Dbb (same as C) (Gb dim is enharmonic with F# dim)
Bb dim: Bb, Db, Fb (Bb dim is enharmonic with A# dim)
B dim: B, D, F

So diminished chords are used to add spice to your musical meal. You don't linger on them, but use them as transition chords between a major and another major chord, or between a major and a minor chord, or sometimes even between two minor chords.

For example, let's say you are playing "Amazing Grace" in the key of F and your first chord is F major on the words "Amazing grace". As you transition to the Dm chord on the word "sweet", you can insert a C# diminished triad on the word "how". It only lasts one beat, but it adds interest to the song.

As you play various songs, look for opportunities to use diminished triads as transition chords. And just like salt is to a meal, so diminished triads are to a musical meal.

Minor Chords: How To Form Them & Use Them

Minor Chords: How To Form Them & Use Them

Minor chords create a sound which is somber or serious; some people even think of minor chords as "sad", as opposed to major chords which sound "normal", or "happy". Some of the great classics are written in minor keys, including Fur Elise by Beethoven, Prelude in C# Minor by Rachmaninoff, Prelude in Cm by Chopin, and many others. In popular music there is "Summertime", "A Taste of Honey", "'Round Midnight", etc. and in folk music there is "Greensleeves", "Dark Eyes", "Volga Boatman","When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and many more.
But minor chords also occur frequently in songs which are written in major keys, and they provide the contrast needed to make a song interesting. The most-used chords in any given key are the I, IV, and V chords which are major, but followed by the ii, iii, and iv chords which are minor. So most songs written in a major key include from 1 to 3 minor chords somewhere along the line.
To understand minor chords we first need to understand major chords. Major chords are created using the root, 3rd, and 5th of a major scale. A major scale (from "la scala" = the ladder) is defined as a row of notes that moves from a root (the bottom or starting note) and moves upward by 2 whole steps, a half step, 3 whole steps, and one half step until it reaches the octave note (8 notes higher). By selecting the root, 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale we create a major chord (also known as a triad -- a 3-note chord).
There are only 12 different major chords:
3 of the major chords were made of all white keys: C F G.
3 of the major chords were made of white keys on the outside, with a black key in
the middle: D E A.
3 of the major chords were like an Oreo cookie? Black on the outside, white on the inside: Db Eb Ab.
That only leaves 3 major chords, one of which is all black, and one of which is white, black, black, and the other the reverse -- black, white, white. Gb (all black) B (white, black, black) Bb (black, white, white).


And that's it.
Here they are in that order:
Major chords composed of all white keys:
C major chord: C, E, G
F major chord: F, A, C
G major chord: G, B, D
Major chords composed of white keys on the outside with a black key in the center:
D major chord: D, F#, A
E major chord: E, G#, B
A major chord: A, C#, E
Major chords composed of black keys on the outside with a white key in the center: Db major chord: Db, F, Ab
Eb major chord: Eb, G, Bb
Ab major chord: Ab, C, Eb
Major chords left over:
Gb major chord (all black keys): Gb, Bb, Db
Bb major chord: Bb,
D, F B major chord: B, D#, F#

All these chords shown above are in "root position"; that is, the root, or name of the chord, is on the bottom of the chord. In a subsequent article we will take up the other positions in which we can play chords: inversions.
So why do I need to learn the major chords?
The answer is simple: all other chords are formed by altering one or more notes of a major chord. So once you know major chords, it's easy to find minor, diminished, augmented, and extended chords.
So to find a minor chord, all we need to do is lower the 3rd of each chord 1/2 step. So to make the C major chord into a C minor chord, we just need to lower E (the 3rd of the chord) 1/2 step to Eb.
So C minor chord is C, Eb, G
Here are the rest of the minor chords:
F minor chord: F, Ab, C
G minor chord: G, Bb, D
D minor chord: D, F, A
E minor chord: E, G, B
A minor chord: A, C, E
Db minor chord: Db, Fb, Ab (Fb is the same as E)
Eb minor chord: Eb, Gb, Bb
Ab minor chord: Ab, Cb, Eb (Cb is the same as B)
Gb minor chord: Gb, Bbb, Db (Bbb is the same as A)
B minor chord: B, D, F#
Bb minor chord: Bb, Db, F
Learn them well, as you will be playing them all of your life in countless songs.
To see all the minor chords illustrated, please go to: www.playpiano.com/101-tips/4-minor-chords.htm

Christmas Carols You Can Play this Christmas With Only 3 Chords!

Christmas Carols You Can Play this Christmas With Only 3 Chords!

Did you know that there are literally thousands of songs you can play if you know just 3 chords?It's true. Songs from "Amazing Grace" to "Cum Ba Ya" to "Happy Birthday" to "On Top Of Old Smoky", "My Country 'Tis of Thee", "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", "God Bless America" and countless others.

But there are also Christmas Carols that you can learn to play this Christmas if you know, or are willing to learn, three simple chords.So what are these chords?In any given key, there are 3 "family members" that are residents of that key -- the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord. They are far and away the most likely chords to occur in any given key.For example, if I am playing in the Key of C, and the first chord is the C chord and I have to guess what the next chord is, I would guess that it would be either the F chord or the G chord. Why? Because those are the other "family members." So we have narrowed the odds a great deal just by knowing who the members of the family are.So how could I tell whether it should be F or G?If the melody is a "B", then the chord is probably a G chord. Why? Because "B" is in the G chord, but is not in the F chord.If the melody is a "A", than I would guess that the chord is F. Why? Because "A" is in the F chord, but is not in the G chord.You can also just match one of the three chords to the melody to see if it sounds right. If it doesn't, try another of the 3 chords. It won't take long before you get the knack of matching chords to the tune of a song.Does that mean that there are always just 3 chords in a song? No, but there are literally hundreds of songs that are made of just 3 chords.Here are a few Christmas Carols you can play with just 3 chords:

O Christmas TreeAngels We Have Heard On HighSilent Night Away In A MangerJoy To The WorldDeck The Halls
Hark! The Herald Angels SingI Heard The Bells On Christmas DayGo, Tell It On The Mountain O Come, O Come Immanuel Star Of The EastThe First NoelThe Holly And The Ivy While Shepherds Watched Their FlocksGod Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Can you use other chords in these carols? Of course. And they will probably sound fuller if you do. But you can "get by" with just 3 chords -- the family chords in whatever key you want to play them in.Here are the primary chords (the family chords) of all the major keys (remember that the primary chords are the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord based on the scale of that particular key):

Key of C: C, F, GKey of G: G, C, DKey of D: D, G, AKey of A: A, D, EKey of E: E, A, BKey of B: B, E, F#Key of F: F, Bb, CKey of Bb: Bb, Eb, FKey of Eb: Eb, Ab, BbKey of Ab: Ab, Db, EbKey of Db: Db, Gb, AbKey of Gb: Gb, Cb, Db

Do you have to know all these chords in all these keys?No.You can choose to play in just one key, or just a few keys.But what you MUST know is the 3 chords in whatever key you want to play in! That meansthat the stark beginner can learn 3 chords in just a few minutes, and be able to play along withthousands of tunes, because most folk songs, hymns, country songs, and many rock songs just use the 3 basic chords. That's why people who know zilch about music can pick up a guitar or sit down at a piano or keyboard, learn 3 chords, and chord along while singing everything from “Silent Night" to "Joy To The World" to..........................well, you get the idea.Go thou and do likewise. It's not too late -- Christmas comes every year right on schedule!
For an in-depth course in playing Christmas Carols, please go to:


http://www.playpiano.com/musical-courses/christmas/ChristmasCarols.html

You will love it -- and it will be a great gift to yourself that will last as long as you play every Christmas!

How To Play The Piano Using "Shorthand" -- Chord Symbols -- Instead of Reading the Full Score

Fm7 Bb7 Ebm6 Edim7

Most people who took piano lessons as a kid, including me, grew up learning to read music exactly as it is written on the printed page. Being able to read music is a valuable skill, and I am delighted I learned that skill at an early age.
But there is a downside to only being able to read music without understanding what you are reading. A couple real-life examples illustrate the point:
What happens when you are playing and your sheet music slips off the piano and onto the floor? Unless your name is Victor Borge and you can turn the situation into comedy, you will probably find the situation extremely embarrassing. I have seen it happen several times to pianists who play well but who don't know how to improvise, and it's not a pretty site. It happened to me once years ago as well. I was accompanying a singer and someone opened a side door, letting a gust of wind sweep into the auditorium and right across my piano. The sheet music scattered onto the stage and a couple pieces blew off the stage. If I hadn't understood the music and had a grasp of it's harmonic form, I would have had to stop, pick up the music, get it back in order, and so forth, delaying the soloist and the performance. As it turned out I had several people ask me how I kept playing without the music in front of me. I replied that I knew the chord progressions of the song, so was able to "wrap the chords around the singer" and therefore keep the song going.
So what are chord symbols, and how do they work?
Chord symbols are a shorthand way of writing what is going on harmonically in a song. For example, if I were to write the chord symbols of the first line of What Child Is This? (also known as Greensleeves and several other titles) in the key of Am, I would write:
Am G F E7 -- which corresponds to the first line of the song and would appear directly above the melody line in the treble clef, so all the pianist would need to do would be to read the melody (tune) of the song -- not all the supporting notes.
I think you can see that once you know a few chords this would be infinitely easier to remember than the entire score of the song. Not only that, but that chord progression -- A, G, F, E7 -- repeats several times during the song, so once you know the form of the song, you have a huge advantage over someone who is chained to the written music and has no idea about the logic of the song.
So how does a person learn this "musical shorthand"? It's no secret -- there are books galore on learning chords, plus web sites that teach chords, or you could even pick up a chart of chords in your local music store.
Then buy a "fake book" -- a songbook with hundreds or even thousands of songs, each song showing just the melody of the song with the chord symbols listed above it. Each song alone would be known as a "lead sheet", but cumulatively the collection of songs is known as a "fake book". Then every day play a dozen or so songs just with the melody in your right hand and the chord in your left hand. It will sound barren at first, but you're learning how it works.
After a couple weeks of that, instead of playing the melody in your right hand, sing the melody (doesn't matter at all how it sounds) and use your right hand to break up the notes of the chord you are playing in your left hand. Once you get the hang of it, you can start breaking up the chord in both hands and experimenting with various rhythm patterns.
I am not saying it's easy; I am saying it's fun and exciting and that it is worth it many times over!

http://www.playpiano.com/Articles/16-shorthandchordsymbols.htm

http://piano-music-chords.com/Duanes-students-only/index-of-good-stuff.htm