Chords
Reading chord symbols & charts
What C, G, Am mean and how to turn them into music.
2 min read
Chord charts and lead sheets show letters above the lyrics or melody. A single letter like C means a major chord (C, E, G). A letter with an "m" like Am means a minor chord (A, C, E).
Root, third, fifth
Basic chords (triads) are made of three notes: the root (the letter name), the third (skip one white key), and the fifth (skip another white key). Once you know the shape, you can build chords anywhere on the piano.
Loading piano sounds…
ZC3
XD3
CE3
VF3
BG3
NA3
MB3
AC4
SD4
DE4
FF4
GG4
HA4
JB4
KC5
LD5
;E5
'F5
]G5
A5
B5
C6
Q
2
4
5
6
W
E
T
Y
U
O
P
C chord: root (C), third (E), fifth (G).
Tip: Try playing the root note with your left hand and the full triad with your right hand for a full, rich sound.
Try the first chord lesson →