EXPLANATION ON HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO

Explanation on HOW to play




The first thing you need to know is the names of the notes on the piano and about intervals. To go from one note. to the next note, immediately it is a 1/2 step (ie from C to C#/Db) and to go from one note to two notes up or down from it is a whole step (ie from C to D). After you know this, then you can learn your major scales, which is the building blocks to forming chords, then chord progressions, then songs.

The pattern for a major scale is (W=Whole Step H=Half Step):
W-W-H-W-W-W-H

In The Key of C, this would be between:
C and D = W
D and E = W
E and F = H
F and G = W
G and A = W
A and B = W
B and C = H


You can also learn the major scale w/ the tetra chord method. A tetra chord is a series of four notes (basically the 1st four notes of a major scale. The pattern for a tetra chord is: W-W-H

In the key of C you have 2 tetra chords, the C tetra chord and the G tetra chord:
C tetra chord: C-D-E-F
G tetra chord: G-A-B-C

A major scale is basically two tetra chords joined by a whole step (in the key of C, it would be joined by a whole step between F and G).

The major scale is also known by solme names, you may remember the song "Do-Re-Mi" from the Sound of Music: Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do

With the number system, instead of thinking Do-Re-Mi, think in terms of numbers:
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (actually the octave 8 is the same as the 1, just an octave, or 8 notes, higher)

Sometimes, you'll see extended chords (chords that add notes above the octave). Here's the major scale in two octaves and the numbers:

C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D--E--F---G---A--B--C
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8--9-10-11-12-13-14-15

For numbers past the octave, we can use shortcuts to remember other numbers:
9=2
11=4
13=6

Also, you'll find many others use Roman numerals instead of numbers:
I=1
ii=2
iii=3
IV=4
V=5
vi=6
vii=7

Earlier, you asked about the 2-4-6, in the key of C, that would be D-F-A, that's not a major chord but a minor chord. For it to be a major chord, you have to sharp (#) the F, b/c F isn't in the D major scale, but F# is (remember the pattern of W-W-H-W-W-W-H).

The D major scale is:
D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D
-W-W-H-W-W-W-H

An easy way I found to remember your scales is to remember the intervals between notes are whole steps EXCEPT for the interval between the 3-4 notes and the 7-octave notes. The way I remember it, if I'm playing a major chord in root position (1-3-5, not inversions like 3-5-1 or 5-1-3), I remember the 1/2 step is between the middle finger and the ring finger (LH would be between the middle and index finger) in the scale and all the other notes in the scale are whole steps except for the last 2 notes (the 7 and the octave).

Also, another way you can learn all your scales, is to use the Circle Of Fourths (which is the Circle Of Fifths counterclockwise):

First, you take the notes of the first major scale, which is C, and flat the 7th (B), this gives you the next major scale which starts on the 4 (F).

For example:
C major scale: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
Flat the 7th note: C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C (this is the notes that are in the next scale which starts on the 4, F)
Go up to the 4 and play the next scale:
F Major Scale: F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F

Then, you repeat this to learn the rest of the scales:
F Major Scale: F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F
Flat the 7th note: F-G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F
Play these notes starting on 4th: Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb (Bb Major Scale)

You just repeat the process around the Circle.

Once you learn your scales and you think in terms of numbers, you can begin to learn chords and chord progressions, ie chords:

Major: 1-3-5
Minor: 1-3b-5
Diminished: 1-3b-5b

Just knowing these three basic chord formulas, you can play basic version of just about any song. Knowing the number system, you can learn your chord progressions.

In any key, there are 7 basic triad (3 note) chords that you can use, that start on each note of the major scale:
I major
ii minor
iii minor
IV major
V major
vi minor
vii diminished

In the key of C, these chords would be:
C major (C) = C-E-G
D minor (Dm) = D-F-A
E minor (Em) = E-G-B
F major (F) = F-A-C
G major (G) = G-B-D
A minor (Am) = A-C-E
B diminished (Bdim) = B-D-F

Also, notice that the I, IV, and V are capitalized, these are the major chords of the scale. Using caps, we can show that we're playing a chord as major and lowercase is minor or diminished.

Also, notice, when playing a chord in the scale, the notes for the next chord in the scale all move up 1 note in the scale.

After you know this, then you can play chord progressions.

For example, in the key of C:
1-4-5 progression = Cmajor to Fmajor to G major
2-5-1 progression = Dminor to Gmajor to C
6-2-5-1 progression = Am to Dm to G to C

Knowing your scales and the number system, you can play songs in different keys, if you want to play the 1-4-5 progression in a different key:

Key of = 1-4-5 Progression
D = D to G to A
E = E to A to B
F = F to Bb to C
G = G to C to D
A = A to D to E
B = B to E to F#
Db = Db to Gb to Ab
etc...

There's been a lot of discussion here on the zone about the number system, chords, etc..., you can use the "Search" feature in the forum to look up other topics along these lines but basically, this is enough info to help get you started and playing.

Of course, the triad chords are enough to get you started. You can basically play most songs w/ the triad chords. There are other chords ie 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, and altered chords, which basically build on the triad chords and make the chords fuller.

Here's a few other chords you need to know (esp. if you're playing by a chord chart)
sus2 (or 2 chord ie C2) = 1-2-5
sus4 (or 4 chord ie C4) = 1-4-5
dom7 (or 7 chord ie C7) = 1-3-5-b7
maj7 = 1-3-5-7
9 chord (ie C9) = 1-3-5-7-9 (you can leave out the 7 in this chord, a lot of times I'll play the 9 on the 2)

There are a couple other triad chords, but not used often:
dim = 1-b3-b5
aug = 1-3-#5

hearandplay has a great chord finder: http://www.hearandplay.com/virtualpiano.html

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