Mastering minor chords on piano requires paying careful attention to finger placement and coordination. By learning these chords, your musical expression and repertoire will grow immensely.
Minor chords are composed of major chords modified by shifting one note down by 1/2 step; this creates a minor triad.
A minor triad is comprised of the root, minor third and perfect fifth chords.
Root Note
For chords to sound properly, they require a strong base known as a root note, also referred to as the foundation. This initial note of any given chord determines if its major or minor characteristics will surface – for instance a chord with C as its root note will produce major harmonic notes while one with D as its foundation creates minor ones.
All chords consist of three or more notes and can be either major or minor in sound. When starting out with chords, beginners are recommended to start off by learning simple triads which consist of three notes with a stable sound; they’re easy to learn and can even be played on piano using only one hand!
Minor Third
Minor chords create an emotive atmosphere in music. Used widely across many genres – rock and pop music as well as classical and jazz pieces – they evoke feelings of melancholy.
Key to the formation of a minor chord is its interval between tonic and third notes; unlike its major second cousin, this interval does not get classified either major or minor but instead as “minor third.” To illustrate, going up one semitone from C to E results in three half steps between C and E which constitute one minor third and thus determine the name of this chord.
For playing a minor chord on the left hand, its fingers must be aligned on A, C, and E. To do this, begin by positioning your thumb (1st finger) on A; next place your middle finger (3rd finger) on C; and finally place pinky (5th finger) on E.
Perfect Fifth
The perfect fifth interval is an integral component of most musical styles and genres, from pop and classical music to jazz and R&B. Listen carefully when starting “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” or listening to Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).” You may hear it at these points!
This interval, with a ratio of 3:12, is generally more consonant than many others such as unison and octave. Furthermore, it serves as the foundation of major and minor triads with their extensions.
A perfect fifth can be easily transformed from major or minor interval to diminished or augmented interval, providing an effective way of quickly seeing whether an interval is perfect. Furthermore, this same method allows you to change between major and minor seconds as well.
Inversions
Chord inversions can be an indispensable asset when learning piano. By creating smooth transitions between chords, chord inversions enable smooth musical transitions as well as emotional resonance or simply eased hand movements.
An inversion is determined by its lowest note and it’s important to realize that chords may either have closed or open inversions. A closed inversion retains its original voicing but with one or more fingers raised higher than others, for instance G – B – E.
An open inversion alters the chord’s original sound by raising its bottom note by an octave; for instance, C – E – G becomes C – D – F when played as an open first inversion.