Learn Piano Minor Chords
Playing minor chords
These minor chords all use the same shape, it's play-one-miss-one. Although it's good to understand the theory of chords and harmony, in practice you can make loads of fast progress by using a pattern-based approach.
How do intervals work? Assign a number to each note in a major scale. A C chord will have the notes 1, 3, 5 or C, E, G.
If you change the middle note to Eb, a black note, you have Cm (C minor) and the chord formula is 1, flat3, 5. So just changing this one note is the difference between a major chord and a minor chord, and every chord works in the same way.
If you look at the intervals involved, a minor chord is 1, flat 3, 5, whereas a major chord uses 1, 3, 5.
Dm = D, F, A If you apply a play-one-miss-one principle, this shape starts on a D note. Colour-coded green on the diagram.
Em = E, G, B Same shape, starts on E. Colour = blue
Am = A , C , E. Same shape, starts on A. Colour = red
The scale that works with these chords is Am pentatonic (pentatonic just means 5-note scale) or C major, C D E F G A B C.
Am pentatonic is the notes A, C, D, E, G, A shown on the lower picture.
Why use this scale instead of C major? It's just easier and will usually sound better as it avoids the two tricky notes that can clash with the chords.
Am chord (A minor)
Minor chords Dm, Em Am
Dm chord
Em chord
Chords in Am
These three chords are from the C or Am harmonised scales.
The Harmonised scale of C contains the chords C Dm Em F G Am B dim C
Any song in this key will use these chords, or some of them, to create harmony.
Am harmonised scale will use the same set of chords, but starting on Am instead, and in practice the Em can be replaced by an E7 chord, something you will often find in well known songs, even Moonlight Sonata is a good example.
Practical uses
You can use these three minor chords to play a minor 12-bar blues. They will sound much better if you put a bass note in your left hand, A for an Am chord, etc.
Minor 7th chords (m7)
In most situations in pop, rock, blues and country music you can improve the harmony in a very simple way - replace any minor chords with minor 7th (m7) chords.
For Dm7 - just move the D down to a C, the other two notes stay the same. You should have a low D in the bass (left hand) or it's won't work well.
Now, apply the same principle to the Em and Am chords. Em7 is D,G,B in the right hand, low E in the left.
Am7 - just move the A down to G. The notes in the chord are now A,G,C,E left to right.
All other minor chords work in the same way.
Comments
Hezekiah from Japan on January 24, 2017:
Nice Hub. I tend to play a lot of minor chords, especially 9ths. Since I play in the Neo Soul genre.
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on October 07, 2012:
One more thing - chords like Em/D are called slash chords. It means you play a chord with a different bass note in your left hand, the note after the slash sign/
Often these are an inversion of the chord, and only the notes of the chord are being used, just in a new order.
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on October 07, 2012:
OK , it's still Sunday, so let's not panic! We don't have the note H, but I think it's German for B! Right hand chords - thumb at left of chord, little finger plays top note.
Em = EGB (left to right) Play that in your right hand, with your left hand going down D, C sharp, C, B
Am = ACE in the right hand
Then play the same chord with G, then F sharp in your left hand
C7 = Bb, E , G with C in left hand
B7 - move everything down one step A, D sharp F sharp with B in left hand. It's easier than it sounds.
Linea on October 07, 2012:
I go to pianoclasses every tuesday, and I have to learn this song for my next class. But I can't remember how to play these..
Em\D
Em\C#
Em\C
Em\H
Am\G
Am\F#
C7
H7
Yeah.. It's basically the grips I don't remember and I can't find help on youtube or google.. So, i'm kinda of stuck, and there's only two days to tuesday.. so.. PLEASE HELP ME! please!!! :)
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on December 05, 2011:
Hi Frank - a minor chord is the intervals 1, flat3, 5 - where one is the name of the chord. So Cm (C minor) would be C, E flat and G.
Am = A, C, E
Dm = D, F, A
Note that the intervals or distances between the notes is always the same.
frank on December 05, 2011:
i need the note on how to creat minor cord
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on October 05, 2010:
Thanks nikmaya and mquee, you're welcome.
mquee from Columbia, SC on October 05, 2010:
Very good, I will have to get my grandson into music, unfortunately right now he is too young to read your hubs. Thanks for good music lessons.
Jon Green on October 05, 2010:
Thanks prasetio. All the best with your hubbing.
prasetio30 from malang-indonesia on October 05, 2010:
I always found new lesson from you. Thanks for share with us. I'll bookmark this hub. Good work, my friend. You always become my music teacher.
Blessing,
nikmaya62 on October 04, 2010:
Nice Lesson.
