New Music - easy new age piano song "White Fir" free PDF sheet music for piano

This melodic new age piano peace features a fun melody and a few three-note combinations for contrast and enjoyment.

Click here to download a free PDF sheet music version of White Fir

New Music - easy new age piano song "Crystal Spring" free PDF sheet music for piano

This sentimental piano peace features a haunting melody and is both simple and rewarding to play.

Click here to download a free PDF sheet music version of Crystal Spring

New Music - easy new age piano song "Morning Fog" free PDF sheet music for piano

This short and peaceful piano peace features a simply rhythm and memorable melody. It's great for those who understand the basics but are not yet advanced players who are looking for something more aurally rewarding than Hot Cross Buns.

Click here to download a free PDF sheet music version of Morning Fog

Piano Chord Guide

Use this guide to learn the fundamentals of chord theory and improve your chord-style playing!

Introduction

The principles in this chord guide will enable you to determine how to play basic chords in any key without consulting a chord guide or memorizing long lists of chords.

Foundational Knowledge

With one notable (and debatable) exception, a chord is any combination of three or more notes. The distance between chord notes is called an interval, and a chord usually consists of two or more intervals. Intervals can be measured in half-steps. A half-step is the distance between a particular piano key and the key right next to it, which may be black or white. Chord names begin with the root note and may be followed by the chord type as well as any chord extensions, which are extra notes added to the chord.

Chord notes can be played in any order and any octave, although with varying results. Reasons for changing the order of a chord’s notes include adding variety to a performance or increasing playability by reducing hand movement. Chord notes can be played at the same time, or one after the other. For a basic accompaniment, play the chord notes at the same time with the left hand while playing the melody with the right.

C has been selected as the chord root in all of the following examples. However, the process of determining how to play a chord is the same no matter what root note is selected. Simply count half-steps to identify chord intervals.

Major chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with no other information next to it, it’s a major chord.

Chord symbol example: C

Bottom interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Top interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Minor chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a small “m” next to it, it’s a minor chord.

Chord symbol example: Cm

Bottom interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Top interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

 

Diminished chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a degree symbol next to it, it’s a diminished chord.

Chord symbol example: C°

Bottom interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Top interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Augmented chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a + next to it, it’s an augmented chord.

Chord symbol example: C+

Bottom interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Top interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Fifth chords (also known as power chords)

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a 5 next to it, it’s a fifth chord.

Chord symbol example: C5

Interval: Perfect 5th (7 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

(Dominant) seventh chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a 7 next to it, it’s a (dominant) seventh chord. Dominant seventh chords are usually just referred to as seventh chords. In practice they are often inverted and the 5^th tone dropped. For example, instead of C, E, G and Bb the player uses E, Bb and C.

Chord symbol example: C7

Bottom interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Middle interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Top interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Major seventh chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with maj7 next to it, it’s a major seventh chord.

Chord symbol example: Cmaj7

Bottom interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Middle interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Top interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Minor seventh chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with an m7 next to it, it’s a minor seventh chord.

Chord symbol example: Cm7

Bottom interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Middle interval: Major third (4 half-steps)

Top interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Diminished seventh chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a °7 next to it, it’s a diminished seventh chord.

Chord symbol example: C°7

Bottom interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Middle interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Top interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Sus2 chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a sus2 next to it, it’s a suspended second chord.

Chord symbol example: Csus2

Bottom interval: Major second (2 half-steps)

Top interval: Perfect fourth (5 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Sus(pended) or sus4 chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a sus or sus4 next to it, it’s a suspended fourth chord.

Chord symbol example: Csus or Csus4

Bottom interval: Perfect fourth (5 half-steps)

Top interval: Major second (2 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

7sus(pended) or 7sus4 chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a 7sus or 7sus4 next to it, it’s a seven suspended fourth chord.

Chord symbol example: C7sus or C7sus4

Bottom interval: Perfect fourth (5 half-steps)

Middle interval: Major second (2 half-steps)

Top interval: Minor third (3 half-steps)

Keyboard example:

Slash chords

Identification: Whenever you see a chord letter with a slash and another letter next to it, it’s a slash chord. This doesn’t mean that you can play a C chord or a G chord. It just means that you should play the C chord with a G as the lowest note. Beginning players can safely ignore the letter to the right of the slash and just play the chord on the left side of the slash.

Chord symbol example: C/G

Interval: Varies depending on the slash chord

Keyboard example:

Other chords

More sophisticated chords such as Am7b5, F13, etc., are beyond the scope of this guide. You may also see “N.C.,” which means “No Chord.” In this case you can play the melody notes with one or both hands.

Lesson #6: Live in a State of Surrender

This is part six of a series titled 6 Life Lessons Playing Piano Taught Me.

“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts—such is the duty of the artist.” -Robert Schumann

Music has been kind to me. Like a good friend, I’ve always been able to turn to music with my problems and work through them with greater clarity. Music is an understanding companion, with an uncanny ability to peel back the emotional layers and leave me feeling stripped and vulnerable, yet somehow more alive.

So why did I fight music for so long? Learning to play, learning to compose and learning to teach were extraordinarily challenging, but when I finally stopped trying to bend music to my will and instead learned to flow in a state of surrender, I began to experience a measure of success.

I once attended a Sam Payne concert and between songs he said something like, “Songwriting requires striking a balance between the song you want to write and the song that wants to be written.” What he said rang true with me. It can be a struggle to get the music out of my head and onto the page, and often the result is different than I originally intended. But rather than argue with reality, I simply allow the process to unfold.

I worked hard in my early years as a developing pianist to learn to read ledger line notes, with no apparent result. After a while I gave up and moved on to other areas of musical study. Then one day I found that without any specific effort on my part I could just read ledger line notes. I heard later about a concept called “implicit learning” that made a lot of sense to me. A school classroom is an explicit learning environment, but implicit learning comes more naturally and seemingly without effort. Like a toddler who doesn’t need to be taught how to dance to the music but just starts moving, there are things we can learn without even trying—gifts that come to us simply because we exist. When I am struggling to play or compose a difficult song, sometimes the best thing I can do is set it aside for a while and trust that my future self will be better able to handle the challenge.
At one point I decided to take drum lessons so I could focus exclusively on the rhythmic component of music. The result was that I gained a whole new respect for the art of drumming and those who practiced it. The seven year old boy whose lesson was before mine was quite talented, and I would often compare myself to him as I slowly counted out, “One and two and three and ... wait, let me try that again ...” while attempting to perform the incredible feats of multitasking that experienced drummers seem to be able to handle with ease. One of my piano teachers pinpointed the issue when she told me as I was struggling with a particularly challenging passage, “You’re over-thinking it.” And she was right. There is a time and a place for thinking, and there is a time to just let go and feel. When I experience frustration, it’s a clear sign that I’m over-thinking and need to take a step back.

Surrendering has far more to do with an inner state of being than with external behavior. When I’m feeling anxious, angry or fearful, surrender is the cure. When I’m on my knees pulling my hair out because I feel like I’ll never be good enough, surrender is the answer. When I’m wound up so tightly that the slightest disturbance sends me into paroxysms of panic, surrender is what I desperately need. Surrender is serenity and trust. It is a healing balm for the overworked, the anxious and afraid, the unappreciated. And it is never further than a decision away.

Artists are often asked where they find inspiration. For me, inspiration comes in the ethereal space between sleeping and waking. I’ve woken up with original melodies playing in my head and immediately sat down at the piano to channel them into existence. I’ve had peace whispered to my soul during these beautiful and quiet moments. But when my peace is disturbed and my life is out of balance, I wake up to fear and dread instead of music. That’s how I know I’m missing the tranquility of surrender in my life.

I also find inspiration in the beauty of nature: the incredible and dynamic sky that serves as God’s canvas, the endless ocean waves, forests, deserts, animal life, dance, theater, and the lives of so-called ordinary people. There is always something to look to when I am thirsting for fulfillment, and my openness and willingness to surrender invites the creativity of an infinite universe to flow through me. The most important lesson I have learned from music is that it’s not about music, and it never was. It was always, from beginning to end, about being human.

Lesson #5: Find Your Voice and Let It Be Heard

This is part five of a series titled 6 Life Lessons Playing Piano Taught Me.

“The question is not, ‘Who is going to let me.’ The question is, ‘Who is going to stop me?’” –Ayn Rand

  

As long as there have been people, there have been opinions. And everyone, it seems, has an opinion about music. The age-old debate about what is and isn’t “real” music will never be settled, but as a musician I am free to choose my own path. I play what I like and it brings me joy, but it wasn’t always that way. I wasted a lot of time trying to meet other people’s expectations and become what they wanted me to become.

I once complimented a pianist named Dan Starr on his beautiful rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon by saying, “I’d love to be able to play like you.” He responded with a kind correction, “You never will. You’ll always play like you.” I have often thought about that exchange and used it as a guide to shape my personalized approach to piano.

When I first began giving performances I spent most of my time worrying about mistakes I might make or mistakes I had already made. With all of my attention focused on mistakes, it wasn’t surprising that I made a lot of them. I also spent far too much time worrying about what people thought of my playing skills. When I began to focus instead on the beauty of the music and the process of playing it, my attention returned to where it belonged and my performances improved significantly.

I tell my piano students that a piano isn’t like a computer. There’s no backspace key, and once a mistake is made it can’t be taken back. However, keeping a steady rhythm no matter what happens reduces the likelihood that listeners will notice. It’s also possible to make a note sound right by changing the notes that follow it.
Once, after a performance, a fellow pianist said to me, “You didn’t make a single mistake!” The truth was that I had made several, but I played through them well enough that even with her musical training she hadn’t noticed. Making mistakes with grace is a skill that can be learned, and one that has benefited me far more than my fruitless attempts to play perfectly 100% of the time. I’m not advocating laziness or sloppiness; preparing for a performance takes effort! But when perfection was my goal I often fell short, and when I simply strived to do my best without harsh self-judgments my playing and confidence improved significantly.

Another struggle I faced while performing was being overly focused on what was coming next, such as an upcoming page turn or difficult passage. Sometimes I would get close to the end of a song and think, “Hey, I’m about to finish this song and I haven’t made any mistakes!” Momentarily drawing my attention to that thought and away from what I was doing would then cause me to make a mistake. When I’m playing, my one job is to focus on what is happening right now: the current measure, the current note, the current page turn. Reading a little ahead is okay. But taking my brain on an anxiety vacation, worrying about what other people think or celebrating prematurely is always a bad idea. There is nothing like a high-pressure performance to remind me of the importance of staying present.

In the past, I often allowed fear to stop me from acting on my creative impulses. Fear of criticism kept me from living an authentic life, and fear of rejection prevented me from sharing my true self. I worried that if I created something, I would be criticized. But I was living a quiet, repressed life and I secretly wondered what I might be able to accomplish if I ever found the courage to overcome my fears. If receiving criticism is the price of being true to myself, then it’s a price I’m now willing to pay. I would rather be true to myself and risk failure than have a successful starring role in someone else’s dream. I would rather get lost trying to find myself than forget who I even am. I refuse to be defined by critics, I won’t let haters keep me from doing what I love, and I won't go to my grave with my music still in me.

Lesson #4: Awaken to a Higher Awareness

This is part four of a series titled 6 Life Lessons Playing Piano Taught Me.

“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” -Arthur C. Clarke

Some life changes occur as an accumulation of small things over time, so imperceptible we almost don’t realize what’s happening. Other changes happen all at once, and are so dramatic and impactful we know we will never be the same again. That’s the kind of shift that occurred when I met Daniel, who I later dubbed my “Zen” piano teacher.

I had been playing for about three years when I met him. I attended a piano concert featuring Jon Schmidt (now of The Piano Guys) and after the concert when I walked into the lobby I heard someone playing every bit as well as Jon himself. Furthermore, I recognized him. His name was Daniel. We had met briefly at a speech contest, and it was enough to give me the courage to initiate a conversation. He didn't have any music in front of him, but he was playing beautifully. I assumed he'd memorized the piece, but he informed me as he spok—without interrupting the music—that he was improvising. I didn't even know such a thing was possible, or that it could be done so well, and I asked him if he would be willing to teach me. He agreed, and the transformation began.

At our first lesson he asked me to demonstrate my skills. I started, as many of my students do, by apologizing for the mistakes I was about to make. I then proceeded to give a terrible performance. As the last notes faded I turned to him and he said, "I think you're better than that." I thought to myself, "No, I'm really not." But he saw something in me that no one else could see, and he believed in me long before I believed in myself.

My first few piano lessons with Daniel lasted about three hours each. He showed me what could be done with chords and how to improvise. I was surprised that with a chord progression and a bit of scale knowledge I could instantly create original songs that sounded amazing. The key to successful improvisation, I have since learned, is to turn off the judgmental part of my brain and just focus on keeping a steady rhythm. There's no such thing as a mistake in improvisation, but a good understanding of rhythm and chord function and scales can enhance player and listener satisfaction. The simplest beginning to successful piano improvisation, and one that I recommend to students of all ages, is to play using only the black keys. The black keys sound good in almost any combination, and the novice improviser is spared from the jarring dissonances that can occur while playing on the white keys. Many of my students will begin playing an improvised song and then play a note that they dislike. At this point they will sometimes pause and say, "Oh wait, what I meant to do was ..." and then they will play a different note. This "try before you buy" approach works well for composing, but improvisation is all about flow. If a less-than-satisfactory note is hit, the player should simply continue playing without pausing.

At my second lesson Daniel challenged me to go home and write a song. I told him there was no way I could do that. He asked if I had ever tried, and when I said no he asked how I knew I couldn't do it. I didn't know what to say, so I went home and wrote a song. The next week I wrote another. With a simple question, he had unlocked an ability I didn't even know I possessed.

My lessons with Daniel went far beyond simple music instruction, as he took each of my negative limiting beliefs and put it under the proverbial microscope. Seeing them so starkly allowed me to confront and defeat them, although it was a process that took time. Even now I still find myself contemplating the truths he taught about music and life. Through his guidance I discovered that there was an entire way of thinking that I hadn't realized existed. The tangible knowledge he gave me was powerful, but the increase in confidence I experienced as I began to believe in myself had an even greater impact on my life and playing.

On the outside it might seem like my chance encounter with Daniel was serendipitous, but if I hadn't been looking for answers I wouldn't have talked with him that day, and I wouldn't have asked him to teach me. Because I was searching for truth I saw an opportunity that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

I have had several awakening experiences throughout my life. The right person, the right trial, the right idea came my way just when it was needed and an upward shift occurred. These experiences can't be forced, but I can seek them by living with openness and humility. By believing more knowledge than I now possess exists, I am creating space for it to come into my life.

The learning process itself is a process of gradually awakening to a higher awareness. But it is not enough simply to acquire knowledge; I must also learn to apply it. If I think I understand money but am living paycheck to paycheck, I don't understand money. If I think I understand how to play piano but struggle to find time to practice and never achieve mastery, I don't understand how to play piano. When I care enough to take the time to make a consistent effort, it will always result in awakening to a higher awareness.